


Fragmented

by SunflowerAro



Series: Stitch [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Blood, Blue repressing emotions like a fool, Character Death, Crying, Fluff, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Inspiration from Steven Universe gem fusion!, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Mild Gore, Nightmares, Self-Worth Issues, Slight horror, Swearing, but it's in a nightmare dw, injuries, snuggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28282431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerAro/pseuds/SunflowerAro
Summary: Four isn't ready to share his splitting ability. He wants to do it when he’s ready, or in the heat of a battle, saving the other Links so theyhaveto accept him. However, things don't always go according to plan.Aka the one where I change how the Four Sword works.
Relationships: Blue & Legend & Warriors, Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Green & Twilight, Red & Green & Blue & Vio, Red & Sky, Vio & Wild
Series: Stitch [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052705
Comments: 124
Kudos: 348





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While knowledge of how fusion works in Steven Universe _will_ be helpful in understanding this, I will be explaining it as this fic goes on, so it's not necessary.

Four’s hands were shaking. The fight had been hours ago, and yet he still found himself trembling uneasily. Every time he began to settle down, the terror stilling in his chest, that _thing_ would flash across his mind, with its disformed limbs and bloodshot eyes blown wide, as though his mind was determined to make him suffer.

The monster had to have been created by Dark himself, as Four had never seen anything like it before—and neither had the others, he found out after the fight. It had been an awful mix of moblin and lizalfos, the two creatures forcefully fused together in an attempt to create something stronger. The _thing_ only wailed in pain and swung its four horrendous arms around—though Four wasn’t certain if it was trying to hit them, or desperately trying to separate itself.

He had frozen, rooted to the spot as disgust and horror mingled together in his gut, the monstrosity so similar yet so different to himself. A merging of individuals, yet _forced_ and _painful_. He couldn’t imagine being forced together like that, and the thought left him shuddering right down to his very soul, horrified tears burning in his eyes. Each piece within him could do nothing but stare in horror at the creation, and Four couldn’t help but wonder if Dark had created it solely to torment _him_.

How could he settle when that _thing_ wouldn’t leave him alone, when it kept tormenting him with _what ifs_?

Four jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, tearing him from his thoughts like a blade through flesh. He looked up, meeting Time’s single eye curiously. Did the man need him for something?

“Are you alright?” Time asked, cocking his head to the side curiously. “You’ve been tense all afternoon.”

Oh. He hadn’t exactly been subtle, had he? But, he couldn’t help it, not when Dark had aimed for something so dear to him, and it had hit _hard_.

Being _forced_ to fuse…

“I’m fine,” he said, before his thoughts could wander too far and give him away. He mustered up all his energy to offer Time a smile, albeit a strained one. The man didn’t seem very reassured, but he nodded, respecting Four’s dismissal of the subject.

“Alright. We’ll be stopping for the night soon.”

Four hummed his acknowledgement, grateful when Time left with a quick squeeze to his shoulder. The others didn’t know about his ability, yet. He wanted it to be special, when he told them, and he’d need to do it _right_. That way, they would understand why Four existed, rather than all of the colours separately. It was about the trust and love they held for one another, about the affection they held within their hearts towards each other. They never felt whole unless they were together as one, but the thought of someone forcing them together, rather than them willingly fusing... it would ruin what they had completely. They would never be able to comfortably fuse together again.

Time called out for them to stop, much to Four’s relief. His mind wandered too much while walking, and there was nothing to distract himself with. Twilight’s world had fallen eerily silent after they had defeated the monster, and he couldn’t sharpen a sword while walking; he’d tried before and it simply didn’t work out—he still had the scar to attest to that.

They moved into the trees, away from the open trail where monsters and traitors alike couldn’t find them. The trees were dense enough to hide them from prying eyes, much to Four’s relief, though they would still need to set up a watch. They could never be too safe.

Four sighed in relief once Time called for them to stop in a small clearing. He moved away from the others, picking a tall fir to lean back against. This way, he could be left to his own devices, and his companions wouldn’t notice how his hands still shook. Now, he just needed something to distract himself with.

A shout from across the clearing startled him, and he almost slashed his palm on his sword as he placed it on his lap. He looked up worriedly, but it was only Wild and Hyrule arguing over who got to cook dinner tonight—Four sent a quick prayer to Hylia for Wild to win, the Champion’s cooking infinitely better than anyone else’s, let alone Hyrule’s. Four liked the guy, but he would never take a bite from any creation Hyrule cooked up—to call the things dishes would be too kind.

Four squinted at the two. Wild still had sapphire earrings dangling from his ears, Four noted. Sometimes, he changed in the middle of the day—though, it was never difficult to miss, not when the earrings sparkled even without the presence of light. After Wild and Time had come back down and told the group of Wild’s preferences, Four had been constantly watching the earrings for any change, determined to make his friend feel as comfortable as possible. People like him weren’t uncommon in Four’s world, and he knew it wasn’t pleasant to be misgendered.

Wild won when he smacked Hyrule’s hand with his ladle, sending him over to Legend with narrowed eyes. Hyrule left like a kicked puppy, arms crossed as he dropped down by Legend’s side with a pout.

Four rolled his eyes fondly, though he was grateful for the distraction that the interaction had provided him. Shaking his head, Four grabbed his whetstone, sliding it down his sword the way his grandpa had taught him. The sword was priceless—it had given him _brothers_ —and he refused to allow it to grow dull. He fell into the monotonous movements, his mind drifting as he gently slid the whetstone along the blade.

That _thing_ appeared in his vision again, smeared across it momentarily like blinding streaks left by the sun. Four flinched, fumbling with the whetstone as his hands began to shake _again_ , though he thankfully didn’t ruin the blade.

Why couldn’t he forget it? Why did it matter so much to him, when Dark could never to something like that to him—to _them_. Why was he letting this get to him?

He pressed his palms over his eyes when flashes of that _thing’s_ twisted face appeared across his vision, barely holding back a whimper at how grotesque it had been. The Colours, it had to be them thinking about it. They needed to stop—

“ _I can’t_.”

Four froze, breath catching in his throat and his eyes snapping open. He needed to get out of here, and _now_. When his fusion was stable, he would never hear the thoughts of the Colours, he wouldn’t even feel their emotions, unless they were strong. To be able to hear them... this was _bad_.

Four stood, gaining the attention of Time, who raised an eyebrow curiously. His hands visibly trembled, so he hid them behind his back, pasting a smile on his face to make himself appear relaxed. “I’m going to grab some firewood,” he said, gesturing to the meagre pile they had sitting by Wild’s foot.

Time nodded, offering him an appreciative smile. “Thank you. Dinner should be ready soon, so don’t take too long. Be careful.”

Four hummed his assent, cursing himself when it came out wobbly. He left the clearing shakily, making a face at how _obvious_ he was as soon as his back was turned to the group, though only Time seemed to be watching him.

Four didn’t relax until the light from the fire faded into the distance and he had only the light of the stars in an inky black sky to guide him. He let out a heavy sigh, but at least now he was away from his companions’ prying eyes.

And with the silence came the voices.

“ _We_ have _to stop thinking about it_.” A snarl from Blue that brought about a headache instantly, spikes of pain spreading across his skull and forcing a whimper from his lips. Four winced, dropping down onto a boulder, his head falling into his hands when it took too much energy to hold it upright. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain as the rest of the Colours joined in, too many voices crammed inside his head at once.

“ _I_ can’t _.”_ So, it had been Red, earlier?

“ _Guys, if we don’t stop—_ ”

“ _It’s not that simple, Green._ ” Vio cut his brother off. “ _You_ know _why this is affecting us so badly._ ”

“ _You think it’s not affecting me, too?_ ” Green growled. “ _Do you really think I’m that heartless?_ ”

Vio didn’t respond, but Four’s eyes began to burn with tears, though he wasn’t certain if the wave of emotion that crashed into him like a club to the gut was rage or offense—perhaps both.

“ _Can you two stop being idiots? We need to fix this stupid mess and get back before the others notice something is wrong._ ” Blue’s temper left Four scowling at the ground despite the pain pounding against his skull.

“ _Stop acting as though this isn’t just as much your fault as it is ours_ ,” Vio said lowly, and Four could almost imagine the glare he would be levelling his brother with.

“ _Why, you—_ ”

Four gasped as another turbulent wave of emotion crashed into him like a boulder from Death Mountain. Tears spilled down his cheeks before he could narrow down _what_ he was feeling: anxiety, misery, _terror_. He barely choked back a sob, wrapping his arms around his middle in an attempt to both comfort _and_ hold himself together.

The Colours fell silent at the sensation.

“ _Red?”_ Green whispered.

“ _I’m sorry,_ ” Red choked out, and Four knew the tsunami of emotions had come from him. “ _I can’t—_ ” he broke off with a sob, and Four’s eyes widened as cracks appeared in the flesh of his hands, blinding white light pouring from them as they split open. _Shit_.

“ _Wait!_ ”

The cracks crawled across his body rapidly, and Four didn’t have the time to shout in surprise before he fell apart.

*

Green groaned, his back aching from having been thrown aside. It had been _years_ since they had fallen apart like that, and that had been back when they were still trying to gain control of this new ability. They had been so out of sync, back then, just as they were now. How had they let themselves _fall apart_ over a monster—had this been Dark’s plan all along? Had he known they would lose themselves over this?

Green shook his head, determined to gather his bearings. Usually, they would split with the assistance of the sword. It would separate them perfectly and without any mishaps. Being torn apart against their own will like they had, _falling apart_ , would leave them disorientated and would send them flying, scattering them. He needed to be prepared on the off-chance they were attacked if the light he knew accompanied their separation had drawn in any enemies.

Green whipped around when he heard soft sobbing, rather than the growling of moblins he had anticipated. Red sat beside him, curled up painfully tight into a ball and shaking harder than a leaf in a gale. The sight left his stomach twisting more fiercely than that horrid _thing_ could ever hope to.

Green crawled over to his brother’s side, tears stinging at his own eyes—he tried to dismiss then, because Red _needed_ him, but his brother wasn’t the only one hurting after that _thing_. Green needed to focus, though. He could sort through his own pain once Red was okay.

“Red?”

When his brother gave no indication he had heard him, Green reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. The moment his fingertips made contact with Red’s trembling shoulder, his brother twisted around, eyes wide and _fearful_. Green flinched back in surprise, but Red’s eyes only welled up with more tears once he realised it was only him and he lunged forward. latching onto him tightly and bawling into his shoulder. He froze, arms hanging uselessly beside him at the unexpected reaction before he remembered himself. He wrapped one arm around Red’s middle, squeezing him comfortingly, while the other hand moved up to rest on the back of Red’s neck. It wasn’t the first time he had comforted Red, though usually he dealt with more minor issues. He couldn’t recall a time his brother had broken down like this, but he was grateful he knew how to comfort him when he needed it most.

Red began to calm instantly, much to his relief, and Green took in his surroundings while he waited. Blue was already up and pacing, his mouth a thin line and eyebrows furrowed. Green couldn’t help but wince at the tears burning in his eyes despite the aggressive front he had put up. Vio sat nearby, cross-legged and staring down into his palms blankly. Not a single emotion flickered across his brother’s face, and Green’s stomach twisted worriedly at the sight. Had Vio shut down already?

This was bad.

Red didn’t let go even after he had settled completely, so Green continued to hold onto him as he addressed all of them.

“We need to fuse back together before someone, or some _thing_ , finds us.”

Blue stopped pacing, and Vio looked up, for which Green was grateful—his brother hadn’t fallen too far into his own head, yet.

“Let’s hurry up, then,” Blue said, crossing his arms with a huff. He raised a brow as though to dare the others to refuse.

Blue and Vio moved closer, waiting for them to stand so they could fuse together once more—they needed to be touching to fuse.

“C’mon, Red. We got to get up, now.”

Red shook his head, squeezing Green’s waist and refusing to let go. “I can’t, just yet.”

Green sighed, rubbing his back soothingly. “It’ll be okay once we fuse together again, I promise.”

Red held on for another long moment, before he nodded, slowly pulling away. Green couldn’t help but cringe at how puffy his eyes were, and at how Red wouldn’t meet his gaze, as though embarrassed by his breakdown.

“Sorry,” Red murmured, scrubbing at his face weakly.

Green smiled, reaching down to take his hand and tangle their fingers together. “It’s okay. Let’s fuse now, yeah?”

Red sniffled, dipping his head once, but Green noticed the small smile upon his face and counted it as a win. At least one thing was going right tonight.

“C’mon, you two. Let’s fuse already.” Eager to diffuse the stifling atmosphere, Green held out his hand towards Blue, waggling his fingers teasingly. Blue shot him a deadpan look, grabbing his hand with a scoff—though Green was glad to note that the stress fell from his brothers face ever so slightly.

Vio took Blue and Red’s hands without hesitance, shooting Green an appreciative smile for taking control of the situation. Green returned it with ease—it was his job, to pull them out of messes and remain level-headed, after all. Even if it involved pushing his own feelings to the side for a moment. He could talk to his brothers once he knew they felt a little better.

He and his brothers closed their eyes together, focusing on the fusion. Blinding light pressed against his eyelids, but he paid it no mind, used to the light and the dizziness that accompanied fusing. There was a familiar tug at his soul and he smiled, eager for them to be Four once more and move past every rotten feeling that _thing_ had left within each of them. As Four, they could work through this together.

Before their souls could come even _close_ to merging, they were thrown back, their bodies moving with them. Startled yelps filled the air, followed by twigs snapping and leaves crunching.

Green groaned, rubbing at the back of his head where he had collided with a tree. A knot had already begun to form there, much to his disgust, and he hissed when his fingers brushed over it, pain lancing up his skull like lightning.

“What the hell was that?” Blue demanded, jumping up from where he had been thrown onto his back. He turned his sharp gaze to Green, as though he was to blame for their inability to fuse—Green couldn’t maintain eye contact, not when that very well might be the case. Had he not stuffed the emotions down far enough for the fusion to work?

They both whipped around as a choked sob filled the clearing, Green’s heart clenching at the sight of Red, kneeling on the ground with his head lowered and his arms wrapped tightly around himself as though he was trying to hold himself together. Vio crouched beside him, a hand over his shoulder worriedly and tears staining his own cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” Red wailed, curling up tighter. “I can’t stop thinking about those poor creatures, and what if—” another sob tore from his throat and he shook his head. “This is my fault.”

Vio shushed him softly, carefully pulling him up and into his arms, setting about rubbing his back soothingly when Red only crumbled further. “It’s not just you, Red. I can’t stop thinking about… about the way they were forced together, and what would happen if it was _us_ in their place, if we were trapped that way forever…”

Red sniffled, Vio’s words seeming to soothe him somewhat. “Me too.”

Blue’s growl stopped the two of them from continuing, and they looked over warily. “We need to fuse back together,” he huffed, crossing his arms and tapping his foot on the grass, as though impatient. Green almost snapped at him to have a heart, but then he noticed the panic within Blue’s eyes. Blue was only trying to protect them: he didn’t want someone to find them like this. Green understood.

“The sword should put us back together. It always does,” he suggested.

Blue shot him a relieved look, to which Green only smiled. He only needed to keep a level head for a little longer, then they would be fused again and everything would be fine.

Eager to fuse back together, the group was quick to raise their swords to the sky, points pressing against one another, if not slightly shakily. The white light filled the clearing once more and Green shut his eyes against it, waiting for his soul to be tugged back alongside his brothers’, where it almost always rested. He smiled when they weren’t instantly thrown apart like before, bodies melting into light to form one where they had been four.

Their souls hadn’t barely touched before they were thrown apart again, each of them landing on their backs on the grass this time, air knocked out of their lungs at the sheer force behind the split.

“What?” Blue wheezed out, forcing himself upright, though he still appeared dazed. “Why didn’t it work?” The minor panic in his eyes before had grown tenfold, though Blue wiped all evidence of it when he caught Green’s eye.

Green sighed, defeat weighing down heavily on him. “It’s not just those two,” he admitted, shoulders rising as he prepared himself for a round of scolding from his brother. He couldn’t help but flinch when a hand landed on his shoulder, looking up to meet Blue’s rare soft gaze.

“I know,” he said understandingly. “But we need to fuse back together before the others come looking for us.”

“How?” Red demanded, pulling himself away from Vio, an uncharacteristic fire burning within his eyes. He shrugged off Vio’s hand when it landed on his shoulder. “We can’t stay fused; we keep falling apart!” The heat died as soon as he met Blue’s gaze and he looked down, as though ashamed of himself. “We can’t stay fused,” he said once more, leaning into Vio’s side.

Blue sighed, offering a half-hearted shrug. “I don’t know, but we’re out of time. It’s been too long, and Time will send someone any moment now.” He turned to Green, eyes hardened with determination. “Can you pretend to be Four for the night?”

Green blinked, nodding slowly even before the question processed. One of them had to pretend, if they couldn’t fuse, and out of the two of them—Vio and Red were out of the question, as teary as they still were—Green was more level-headed, like Four often was.

“I can try,” he said. “But it won’t be the same.”

“That doesn’t matter. We just need some time to work something out.”

Green bit his lip, but nodded. He could push the unruly emotions down for the rest of the night, right? He didn’t have a choice.

“Okay, I can do that. Let’s grab some firewood and head back before they see all of us.”

He and Blue wound up collecting the firewood while Vio continued to soothe Red and likely himself in the process. In minutes, they had a decently sized pile for Green to take back. Firewood in his arms, Green led the way back to the clearing, his brothers crouching in the bushes to remain hidden by the shadows. Green hesitated, hoping for _some_ sort of comfort from his brothers before he would be without them for the night.

“I—”

“Hyrule’s coming this way. You have to go now, Green.”

Before he could protest, or take one last look at his brothers, Blue shoved him through the bushes. He nearly crashed into Hyrule, stepping out of his path in the nick of time.

“Hey, Hyrule.” He offered the most Four grin he could muster up—nothing too excessive, as Four wasn’t that excitable, most of the time—unless Red’s enthusiasm was bursting through the fusion, of course.

Hyrule tilted his head, but didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. He had to have missed his tunic, then, for which Green was grateful. He hadn’t the faintest idea for how he would explain that, but he could figure it out before he slept. The shadows would hide the lack of three other colours on his tunic, for now, and his companions were likely too exhausted to take much notice.

Green placed the firewood down by Wild’s feet, earning an appreciative nod from their cook.

“You sure took your time out there,” Legend said offhandedly.

Green bristled at his words, knowing the man only wanted to get a rise out of him. He took a deep breath, letting the anger fall from his shoulders as he breathed out. Four normally wouldn’t snap at any snide remarks—unless they were about his height or distaste for snow, Blue’s anger shining through.

“There wasn’t a lot of dry wood,” he said with a shrug. Getting angry wouldn’t help anyone, and Legend didn’t know their circumstances—he was only irritable because they were separated against their will. He just needed to get through tonight, then they could fuse again in the morning and everything would be fine. If he snuck off early, he and his brothers could fuse again before anyone noticed anything was wrong.

Legend shot him a look, his eyes scrutinising him as though he could see right through him, as though he knew he wasn’t Four, not quite. Green forced himself to stay neutral and to not do anything suspicious until Legend turned back to his book with a shake of his head. Taking in a deep breath, Green forced his hands to still.

He took a bowl of soup from Wild when it was offered, smiling gratefully before he settled down by the Cook’s side, unease settling into his chest. Four hadn’t split around the others before, and everything felt _weird_. He wasn’t used to being alone, not like this. They hadn’t split up willingly, and he had been shoved out here without a second to prepare or to receive the comfort he _needed_ first. Not to mention, he hadn’t been separated from his brothers in _months_ , and being without them felt… lonely. After so much time fused with his brothers and with them by his side constantly, Green couldn’t help but feel _alone_ despite how his companions surrounded him. A chilled breeze brushed through the clearing and he shivered, wishing his brothers were there with him—he had always been warmer as Four, rather than by himself.

Already, he had begun to miss his brothers.

He cursed himself for being so pathetic. One night, that was all he needed to make it through. Still, Green found himself shifting closer to the fire that night, wrapping himself up tightly in his blanket to counter the loss of his three brothers around him. It took hours before he was able to drift off into an uneasy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The fic is already finished, so updates should be quite frequent! If you see any mistakes, please feel free to mention them <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Green has a nightmare and secrets are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning, there _is_ death and a bit of gore in the beginning, so if you'd prefer to avoid that, skip to the end of the italics. Stay safe <3

_They were back in the clearing from earlier, that_ thing _before them once more. Green was back together with his brothers as Four, working with them to dodge any attempts on their life. As one, they spotted an opening, swiping their sword across the creature’s gut and leaving behind a clean line that began to dribble blood instantly._

_The monster let out a piercing wail, one so loud Four almost dropped his sword as he raised his hands to cover his ears, face screwed up in pain. Four grit his teeth when the sound only grew louder, rather than tapering off as he had anticipated. He wasn’t prepared for the lizalfos arm to slam into his chest, knocking him backwards and taking the breath from his lungs and his sword from his hand, the weapon clattering to the ground. He slammed into the unforgiving earth, ribs rattling under the sheer force. Four coughed, grimacing as blood dribbled from his lips and stained the emerald green grass._

_He clambered back onto his feet, ears ringing painfully and muffling all other noise despite how he shook his head to clear the sensation. With his ears useless, he would need to rely on his eyes to survive. A clawed foot entered his line of sight and his head snapped up in alarm. Four flinched back when he realised how_ close _the monster had gotten, the pained eyes of the moblin only centimetres away from his own face. Tears spilled down its scarred cheeks, uncharacteristic of such a barbaric monster._

 _Four couldn’t help but shudder at the sight, his own soul shaking at the mere thought of being forced together like that. Then, the_ thing’s _face scrunched up in pain, and it let out another tearful wail, this one significantly softer than the last, and Four felt his soul_ crack, _pain bursting through his chest like a sword had pierced him. He had fallen apart before his mind caught up with him, the brothers crashing to the ground as the split threw them apart with a wrath that was fuelled by their own explosive emotions._

_Green groaned in pain, his chin split from where it had met the rough earth and weeping blood. He pulled himself to his knees, hissing when he pressed his palms into the ground, gravel having been forced into his skin from the rough separation and leaving behind bright red scrapes, but he could ignore the pain for now._

_“What the fuck?”_

_Green whipped around, meeting the distorted figures of the other Links with wide eyes. Darkness oozed around their figures like fog, hiding all but the disgust in their bright eyes and reminding him of the tales his grandpa would tell him of monsters lurking within the shadows._

_“You’re a_ monster _!” Another one of them shouted, and Green flinched back when weapons were raised, glinting despite the darkness that had swallowed the group._

 _He stepped away in terror, the people he had come to call_ family _turning against him, against_ them _, for something they couldn’t change. Hylia, they were going to_ kill _him. His breathing picked up, but his arms remained at his side despite how desperate he was to defend himself and his brothers. Why couldn’t he move them?_

 _A scream pierced the air, and Green whipped around in time to see that_ thing’s _claws go through Vio’s stomach, their ends stained with bright red blood. He opened his mouth to shout for his brother, but his throat closed up, air snatched from his lungs and leaving him gaping in horror. Blue had him covered, as he let out an almighty roar and swung at the arm, and Red had no qualms with screeching in terror. Green couldn’t move, paralysed in horror as he watched the blood ooze from Vio’s stomach and his mouth, staining his teeth. His brother let out a choked, gurgling sound that echoed in his ears, clearer than anything else around him. The_ thing _ignored Blue and Red’s attempts to kill it, tearing its fist from Vio’s stomach—and Green cringed at the squelching sound that followed. Vio’s body crumbled to the ground like a doll, unmoving._

 _“Vio!” Red cried out, hands pressed over his mouth, his frame shaking as though he had been dropped into the middle of a blizzard as he stared at the crumbled body they had called their brother. Green couldn’t tear his eyes away from Vio either, his throat and chest tight, air refusing to enter his lungs despite how they screamed. Hylia, Vio was_ dead _and he couldn’t_ breathe _, nor could he move his useless legs to_ help _before—_

 _Green found his voice in time to cry out as his other two brothers were snatched up in the_ thing’s _mighty fists. When they shouted and struggled to free themselves, it squeezed them tightly, their voices cutting off with pained yelps accompanied by the crunching of bones._

 _And Green_ still _couldn’t do anything, rooted to the spot despite how his stomach twisted and writhed, urging him to hurry up before it was too late, before it killed his remaining two brothers as it had done with Vio. He couldn’t lose them, too, then he would be truly alone._

_Green twisted around when his feet still refused to move, desperate enough to cry out to his companions for help only for his eyes to widen when there was nothing there, the Links and the dark smoke gone. Had they died, too? Or, had they left him and his brothers to fend for themselves, knowing they were as good as dead?_

_Green turned back when blinding light filled the clearing, raising an arm to protect his eyes when they burned. Hylia, it wasn’t—_

_He stepped back in horror when the light faded as quickly as it had come and he saw the_ monstrosity _left in its wake—of course, he could move_ now _of all times. The_ thing _had forced his brothers to fuse with it, though Green could only see their faces on the sides of its head, their eyes flicking around rapidly, filled with tears of pain._

 _The_ thing _whirled on him and Green stumbled backwards as it moaned in pain._

_“Green!”_

_He jumped at the sound of Red’s voice. How had he retained speech like_ that _? He gaped in horror, tears spilling down his face as the monster took slow steps towards him, turning its face so Red could look down at him. The_ thing _raised a hand, though Green wasn’t certain whether it was Red trying to comfort him, or the monster trying to attack him._

 _“Green, kill us,_ please _.” Green’s eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly, tears flying everywhere. How could they ask that of him? He could fix this—he_ had _to._

_“I—I can’t, you’re all I have. There has to be another way, there has to!”_

_Red smiled despite the pain, his eyes welling up with more tears filled with sorrow. “You know there isn’t.”_

_The thing turned again, taking control back from Red. It raised its fist, though Green wasn’t sure if it was trying to take him as well or kill him._

_“Green, now!” Blue shouted, forcing him into action._

_He raised his sword, squeezing his eyes shut as he swung blindly, tears falling onto the forest floor. His sword slid through flesh and bone like soft butter and he staggered when the remaining momentum pulled at his arm. A_ thump _echoed across the clearing and his eyes snapped open as the disfigured head rolled across the grass, before stilling. Green watched in horror as the light in his brothers’ eyes died, bile rising up his throat at the sight. His sword fell from his hand as his legs buckled, sending him crashing to the ground. His brothers were_ dead _, and it was all his fault._

_He had killed them._

Green shot up, a hand over his mouth as he gagged. His stomach clenched painfully and he lowered his other hand to grip at the fabric of his tunic in an attempt to alleviate the sensation. Hands met his shoulders as though to steady him and he flinched back, though the hands were too gentle and warm to be those of a monster. He swallowed the bile thickly, before a choked sob tore through him and tears spilled of their own volition, falling down his face and over the back of his hand. Green shuddered as one of the hands moved to his back, rubbing between his shoulder blades soothingly.

“Four, are you okay?” There was no mistaking the soft sound of Sky’s voice. Of course, their most compassionate Link would be the first to his side.

Green took in a shaky breath in an attempt to calm himself, swallowing thickly against another sob that threatened to tear through his throat. He released his tunic, raising both hands to scrub at his eyes, grimacing at how _badly_ they were shaking.

“Four, what happened? I’ve never seen you like this before; you’re usually so calm.”

“I _can’t_ —” How could Sky expect him to calm down when the images of his _dead brothers_ kept flashing across his vision? What if they had been taken while he slept?

The thought brought more tears to his eyes, but he ignored them in favour of attempting to stand, albeit shakily.

“Four, calm down!” Sky whispered, shooting a wary glance at the sleeping forms of their companions. He latched onto Green’s hand, trying to pull him back down to his side. Green tore his hand away, wrapping his arms around himself and taking a step back. How could he be expected to calm down when that _thing_ could have been revived by Dark? Or, what if more had replaced it with an army of them? If they had taken his brothers while he slept, he would never forgive himself. He would be alone forever.

“I—” Green shook his head, unable to form any words when his breath was shuddering as terribly as it still was, and he shook like a leaf despite all attempts to calm himself.

How could Sky expect him to calm down after such a nightmare? Hylia, Vio had been slaughtered before his eyes, then he had _killed_ his other two brothers.

The thought left a lump in his throat, and more hot tears bubbled up and over, spilling down his cheeks. He wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to pull himself together, but it didn’t help.

“Hey,” Sky said softly, taking his hand once more, squeezing tightly when Green didn’t pull away again. He stood, tugging on Green’s hand to encourage him closer and into his arms. Green relented, too exhausted, too _shattered_ , to try and stop him. Sky pulled his sailcloth around the two of them, enveloping him in its warmth and protecting him from the chilled air and the sharp claws of his own thoughts.

Green wrapped his arms around Sky’s middle, burying his face in his shoulder, desperate for the other man to hold him tightly and chase away the horrors he had seen. Anything to rid himself of the awful visions staining his mind. He hated how harshly he shook, how more tears escaped his eyes and his breaths came out shuddering, but Sky only continued to hold onto him, humming a soothing tune that helped wash away the horrors he had seen.

“What happened?” Sky asked when he had finally stopped shaking, and his sobs had settled.

Green sniffled. He doubted Sky would let him go without an explanation—he would do the same if one of _his_ friends crumbled as he had done. That didn’t make it any easier, though.

“I had a nightmare,” he began, pulling back so he rested against Sky’s side, rather than in his arms, though Sky kept one arm wrapped around his shoulders. Green kept his gaze on the ground as he continued, tearing into the soft grass beside him to release the anxious energy still buzzing beneath his skin.

“That monster was back.” Sky shuddered beside him, and Green found himself grateful he and his brothers weren’t the only ones horrified by it. “You guys left, and I couldn’t protect my brothers. They _died_ and I was all alone...” He shuddered at the thought of the nightmare, and Sky squeezed his shoulders comfortingly. Hylia, he hadn’t had one that bad since—

“You have brothers, Four?”

Green tensed at Sky’s words. Shoot, he hadn’t meant to share that—though, he wasn’t in his right mind, currently, every thought barely tangible, fleeting like terrified mice.

“I… is everyone okay?” he asked instead of answering, searching the sleeping figures around him for any sign of fresh wounds.

“Everyone’s _fine_.” Sky assured him, but he couldn’t know that. Sky didn’t know of his brothers’ presence, only a few metres away in the bushes—if they were still there at all. The thought sent a chill up his spine. What if his brothers _weren’t_ there? What if they _had_ been taken, and he had sat here sobbing his heart out instead of trying to save them?

Guilt twisted his gut and he stood, ignoring Sky’s curious hum in favour of narrowing his eyes at the shrubs across from him. His brothers would be furious if he was wrong, and they were fine… but the guilt that he would have to live with if they were in trouble would be the death of him.

He couldn’t lose his brothers.

Mind made up, Green took shaky steps towards the bushes, anxiety churning his gut, tainting his mind with thoughts of what could have happened to his brothers while he slept, while he _cried_. They left more tears burning in his eyes—hadn’t he cried enough, today?

“Four, what are you…?”

He ignored Sky in favour of pushing through the bushes, unable to care when the man stood to follow him worriedly.

Green slumped in relief when he saw his brothers nearby, partially hidden by a tree on the off-chance one of the others left the clearing—too far away to hear his cries, it seemed. A weight fell from his shoulders, and he couldn’t bring himself to care when Blue turned to him with narrowed eyes.

“Green, what are you…” he trailed off, eyes widening as more tears spilled down Green’s face as relief overwhelmed him. They sparkled under the moonlight, highlighting his pain for the world to see, but Green couldn’t care less when his brothers were _alive_.

“You’re here,” he said, voice scratchy, his throat exhausted from all the crying he had done. His breath caught in his throat when _Vio_ turned around, eyes shining with concern. He couldn’t stop himself from stepping forward and wrapping his arms around his brother, the mental image of Vio’s crumbled body tearing another sob from him.

“You’re alive.” He squeezed his brother tightly in an attempt to remind himself that it had only been a nightmare—his brothers weren’t dead, and that _thing_ wasn’t back.

“Green!”

Red latched onto him from behind, holding onto him as though he would disappear if he let go. Vio shook off his shock, returning the embrace as Green stained his tunic with tears.

“Green, what happened?”

“Um.” His brothers turned, eyes widening when they saw Sky standing behind them.

Green stiffened. His brothers would be _furious_ , now. He had led Sky right to them despite knowing how terrified they were of sharing this secret. But… how else could he have checked on them?

“Shit,” Blue said, lips thin.

A breeze passed through, rustling the leaves above them and forcing all four of them to shiver—Sky’s sailcloth kept him warm, and the man _never_ removed it, not even to sleep. Green held on tighter to Vio as he waited for _someone_ to speak up—Hylia knew he couldn’t, not with the tears still clogging his throat.

“You guy should come sit by the fire,” Sky suggested, glancing back at the group still sleeping behind him. “You can tell me about _this_ once you’ve warmed up. Have you three eaten?”

Immense relief hit Green again, and he felt Vio relax, too. Sky hadn’t torn into them, as they had feared—Green could never be more grateful, the mere thought of having to deal with a scolding after such a horrid nightmare left a shiver running up his spine.

When Blue muttered that they hadn’t, yet, Sky tutted, waving for them to follow as he entered the clearing once more.

Vio and Red pulled away from him, and Green barely held back a whimper as they did. But then, Red offered him his hand, twining their fingers together and squeezing as he pulled him back into the clearing behind his brothers.

They sat around the fire, Blue and Vio on one side and Red and Green on the other, Sky moving away to search for food. Red reached back to their bedroll, snatching up their blanket and throwing it around Green’s shoulders, wrapping it snuggly around his still-shaking frame before pulling him into his side.

Green hid his face in Red’s shoulder with a murmur of appreciation. His eyes had to be red and puffy, and he had _never_ cried in front of his brothers before. Shame welled up in his chest, and he pulled the blanket up to hide half of his face.

Sky handed out some apples to his brothers. It was the best he could do while the leftover soup remained in Wild’s slate, as none of them knew how to use the thing, yet. His brothers took them gratefully, polishing the fruits off within seconds. When silence fell upon the clearing, save the soft snore of their companions and his own occasional sniffles, Sky spoke up.

“So… what’s going on. Were you cursed?”

Green didn’t answer, not now that he had his brothers here to do so for him. His throat was dry and sore, and fatigue weighed down on him heavily, even if he was too terrified to sleep again.

“You could say that,” Blue grumbled, crossing his arms with a huff.

Sky gasped in alarm and Vio glared at his brother for the misleading words. “What he means to say is: we were, in a way, cursed. But this happened years ago.”

Sky furrowed his brows in confusion. “What do you mean.”

“This,” Vio gestured to the three of them, “is the doing of the Four Sword. It can split people into four individual beings, which is what happened to Link on his, our, second adventure.”

When Sky only tilted his head thoughtfully, Blue added, “basically, we’re Four, but split up.”

“Oh,” Sky said, taking a moment for the words to sink in. “Wait, if you’ve had this ability all along, why didn’t you say anything?”

None of them could meet Sky’s eyes at that. After a long moment, Blue spoke up for them. “We were going to when we felt comfortable with sharing this part of us. We just... weren’t sure how you guys would react.”

Sky’s eyes widened in understanding. “We’d never judge you for something like this,” he promised, reaching out to place a hand on Blue’s knee when he still didn’t look up. “We all have our fair share of odd abilities, this one may be a little different, but none of us would shun you guys for it.”

Green smiled in relief at the words, though he was too tired to murmur his thanks with his brothers.

“So, how does it... work?” Sky asked, as they had been expecting. It was a difficult process to explain, however. Vio took the lead, always eager to inform others.

“Since we’re technically four separate parts of the same soul, we can put those pieces back together and become Four. I’m not sure exactly where our bodies go, but they dissolve into light, realigning into what we once were, though it won’t ever be the same. We can still sense each other’s presence, and our souls will never be able to properly become one again. Four is as close as we can get to being Link again.”

Sky looked down, biting his lip. “I’m sorry,” he said, and Green made a face at the apology despite it being what they often received upon explaining.

“Don’t be,” Vio said, waving him off. “It’s been so long, none of us really recall what it was like to only be one person. Besides, now we have each other.”

Sky smiled at that, much to Green’s relief. Some people would pester them, asking if they were truly happy with only being one quarter of a soul, rather than whole. It irked all of them to no end, even the usually amicable Red.

“Then I’m happy for you. Can I ask... what should I call you?”

Green nearly smacked himself. How had they forgotten to give Sky their names?

“You can call me Blue,” his brother said, jutting his chin out with a smirk that made the rest of them roll their eyes fondly. Blue then nodded to Vio beside him. “Vio, and those two are Green and Red. I’m sure you can guess which is which?”

Sky blinked, before he nodded slowly, as though uncertain as to how to act around them. “Those are... interesting names.”

Red raised his free hand cheerfully. “I came up with them!”

Sky smiled at the enthusiasm. “They’re perfect. Now, Vio?” His brother hummed curiously. “Can I ask why you’re separate now if you weren’t ready for us to see you?”

Silence followed his words, and Green shifted to see that neither Blue nor Vio were meeting Sky’s eyes. He bit his lip, but he wouldn’t be the one that told Sky of what happened—he had only _just_ stopped crying, and he couldn’t take any more emotional strain tonight.

“Guys?” Sky tilted his head, eyebrows furrowing worriedly.

Blue sighed deeply, before he finally met Sky’s eyes. Green slumped in relief—despite knowing he shouldn’t push himself, he still would have taken control over the situation should his brothers need him to.

“We didn’t have a choice,” he admitted, looking away when Sky frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Blue winced. “Four…fell apart.”

Sky’s eyes widened and he shifted closer in alarm. “What happened?” When none of them answered, he added, “you can trust me. I promise I only want to help.”

Blue bit his lip harshly, still hesitant. Vio reached out to take his hand with a smile, before he took over.

“Our ability only works if we’re all in sync. If one of us is feeling extremely out of sync—that is to say, incredibly upset—then the fusion won’t work.”

Sky nodded mutely, eyes shimmering with more concern than before. Green couldn’t blame him, not after Vio’s words.

“Our fusion is a choice,” Vio continued when Sky remained silent. “We don’t _have_ to remain together, and at first, we didn’t—we weren’t as close as you’d think, for pieces of the same person. It took some time for us to accept each other as brothers, and to learn to trust one another. When we first fused back together…” Vio trailed off, a faint smile on his face.

“It was like feeling whole, again,” Blue finished for him. Vio nodded his agreement, squeezing Blue’s hand in appreciation.

“When we’re separate, we’re still whole beings, but it’s not the same as when we’re together. Being separate for too long can be… lonely.”

They all nodded in agreement. It was why Green had felt so cold, so _alone_ , despite only having been away from his brothers for a few hours. It took time for them to be able to spend days away from one another, and they had been together for so long, this time.  
“So, why are you separate now, then?” Sky asked, brow furrowed as he took in their words.

Vio sighed. “That _thing_ we fought earlier.”

“The weird monster?”

Vio hummed his assent. “It was a horrid thing, two monsters forced together against their will. I’m sure you heard how painful it was for the creatures.”

Sky shuddered at the reminder. “I can still hear its wailing…”

“It was a different kind of fusion, one that was forced. And, when we saw it, it left us…” Vio trailed off, biting his lip harshly. When he noticed Vio wasn’t going to continue, Blue took over, offering him a reassuring smile before turning to Sky.

“It left us feeling… upset, I guess you could say. It affected us because that _thing_ goes against everything we are.”

That was a lighter way of putting it, Green felt. It had shaken them enough to tear them apart. _Four_ had fallen apart because of it.

Sky gasped. “If you guys weren’t feeling well, why didn’t you ask us for help?”

Blue scoffed. “How could we? We couldn’t explain _why_ , not without giving away our secret, nor could we prevent falling apart.”

“We wouldn’t have judged you,” Sky countered, eyes narrowed, though only in concern, rather than malice.

Blue pursed his lips, looking away. “We couldn’t have known that. Many people back home don’t really like us…”

Sky frowned, shifted closer to take Blue and Vio’s free hands, their others still clasped between them for support. “They may not have accepted you, but you’re amongst eight other heroes who have been through too many things to care. None of us will judge you, and if any of the others try to, well…” Sky looked down darkly, releasing their hands to crack his knuckles. “I can talk some sense into them for you.”

Green edged away from the anger in Sky’s eyes, but when he met the man’s gaze, there was only warmth within them. He offered Sky a faint smile, too tired for much more than that. Red shifted, turning to give Sky his attention now that Green had settled.

“Thank you,” Red said, a sincere smile upon his lips. Truly, they couldn’t have asked for a better group to end up with. “I’m sorry we hid this. We were just… scared.”

Sky waved him off. “It’s okay. I still found out, anyway, and I’m glad I did. Though…” he trailed off, lowering his gaze to meet Green’s eyes worriedly. “Are you okay?”

Green tensed when his brothers turned to him, too, eyes shimmering with concern. Despite how their fretting was justified—Green would be the same if any of his brothers broke down before him—he couldn’t help but look away in shame.

Red squeezed him encouragingly. “It’s okay.”

Green sighed, but nodded. He _did_ owe his brothers an explanation for giving away their secret, after all. The thought left guilt twisting in his chest; their biggest secret had been revealed, all because he couldn’t hold himself back.

“I’m…” he trailed off, pursing his lips. He couldn’t lie to his brothers and say he was fine, not when he clearly wasn’t.

“I had a nightmare,” he said instead. “We were all fighting that _thing_ ,” he added when Red hummed curiously.

Blue made a face, biting his lip worriedly. Green couldn’t blame him. They had been lucky enough to defeat the horrid monster and hold it together, but nightmares twisted everything into their deepest fears regardless of reality.

Green continued, eager to get the dream off of his shoulders now that he had begun—he doubted he could drop it now, anyway, his brothers cared too much to let him push it aside.

“This time, we couldn’t hold it together and the others—”

He shuddered, shaking his head. His brothers seemed to understand, as they nodded without asking for more detail—though Sky frowned thoughtfully. Green couldn’t finish, didn’t want to even _think_ about how the other Links had turned against them so quickly.

“But then they disappeared and…” he turned to Vio, his stomach twisting fiercely at the vivid image of his brother’s still body. Tears burned in his eyes again, and he cursed himself for being so weak and fragile. “You _died_.”

Vio’s eyes widened and he was by Green’s free side in an instant. “I’m okay,” he promised, taking his hand to reassure him. Green smiled shakily, though the gesture was appreciated. But, he wasn’t done yet.

“Then, that _thing_ forced you two to fuse with it,” Green said, refusing to look at Red or Blue’s eyes when they gasped in alarm. “I—I had to _kill_ you guys, because you were _trapped_ and I—”

He cut himself off, pausing to swallow thickly. After a few deep breaths where Red rubbed his shoulder, and Vio squeezed his hand, Green continued. “I didn’t want to give away our secret, but I _had_ to see if you were all okay. I’m sorry,” he finished, head hanging in shame.

Green refused to look up when he heard Blue shift to move closer, too fearful of the fury he would see within his temperamental brother’s eyes. He should have been stronger than this, but he _wasn’t_.

He hated that he wasn’t strong enough.

Green jumped when Blue placed a hand under his chin, forcing him to look up. His tearful eyes met Blue’s concerned ones, widening when he realised not a hint of fury lay within them.

“It’s okay, Green.”

His breath caught in his throat. “You’re sure?”

Blue nodded, leaning back to sit down in front of him, crossing his arms with a shrug, ignoring how the fire blazed behind him. “I would have done the same, in your position. Besides, it worked out fine, didn’t it?”

Green sighed in relief, a shaky smile pulling at his lips. “I guess it did.”

“If you’re okay, now…”

The four of them jumped at Sky’s voice, having forgotten he was with them. Green held back words of how he wasn’t _quite_ okay, not yet. He just… needed some time.

“You guys should sleep. We can try figure this out in the morning after some rest.”

At his words, Red let out a yawn, earning a chuckle from Sky.

Blue sighed, but stood. “Fine. No point staying up if it won’t fix anything. We haven’t come up with a solution yet, either, and I doubt we’ll be able to fuse after your nightmare…”

Green nodded, allowing Red to pull him up to his feet. When his brother paused to pull him into a proper embrace, Green had to hold back tears at how _tightly_ Red held onto him.

“You’ll be okay,” Red promised, squeezing him once more before releasing him, leading them over to where Four’s bedroll had been spread out.

“I’ll fill Time in when it’s his watch,” Sky said, waiting for their nods of agreement before he sat back against the rock he had been using earlier.

Green flopped down onto the bedroll, fatigue catching up with him. The past hour had been _exhausting._ His brothers joined him, pressing in against his sides and, in Blue’s case, lying over his legs. It helped, their warmth serving as a reminder that they were still _alive_ , that he hadn’t lost them.

With his brothers by his side, Green drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Colours come clean to the rest of the group, and most of them talk out their feelings regarding the forced fusion.

“What the fuck?”

Red groaned, face scrunching up in displeasure. He rolled over, raising an arm to cover his face when light assaulted his eyes. Who was shouting this early, anyway? Blue never awoke at this time of the morning—none of them were willing to wake early—so it couldn’t be him.

Realisation hit him hit him like a hammer, and Red jolted upright, knocking Green to the side and sending Blue rolling forward with a surprised grunt.

“What the hell?” Blue glared at him, tired eyes filled with rage. Red couldn’t blame him, as he knew better than to wake Blue before he was ready—they had learned that lesson the hard way. His brother needed to be awake for this, however. Green groaned from beside him, rolling over to bury his face back into the blanket. Vio didn’t stir.

Red offered Blue an apologetic smile, before looking past him towards Legend, the person who had initially spoken. The Veteran sat only a few metres away, now watching them warily. Blue followed his gaze curiously, only to pale when he saw Legend gaze on them, the anger falling from his shoulders. Blue whipped around to face him again, eyes wide with panic. Last night, it had only been Sky and them, but now, most of group was up, waken by Legend’s shout—his brother had always faltered under an audience. Red decided he could take control this time, as Blue and Vio had done for them last night.

“Um, hi,” Red said meekly, offering Legend a shaky wave. Despite how he wanted to remain calm for his brothers, Red couldn’t help the anxiety that buzzed along his skin like gnats and left his hands shaking. Sky had been more than accepting of them the night before, but Red wasn’t certain if the rest of the group would share his view. What if they thought he and his brothers were monsters, and Sky couldn’t convince them otherwise?

Legend’s eyes only narrowed, gaze flickering over each of the Colours before settling back on Red, as he was the only one responsive. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

“We’re Four.” Red gestured widely to Blue and his still dozing brothers—how in Hylia’s name could they sleep through this?

Legend frowned, scrutinising them for another, painfully long moment before accepting the truth of Red’s words. “Are you cursed?”

Red sighed heavily at the realisation that he would have to explain everything they had last night. Sky still slept on, oblivious to the world, and Time, leaning against a nearby tree and watching them with intrigue, had only heard the story from the Skyloftian. He couldn’t help them with this.

Red looked around the camp, noting the still-sleeping forms of Sky and Warriors, who had a half-asleep Wind dozing at his side. “Can you wake the others, first. I don’t want to explain this over and over again.”

Legend pursed his lips, but nodded, standing and moving over to kick Warriors’ calf, snickering when the man jumped up in alarm.

Red rolled his eyes fondly, turning his attention back to his own brothers. Blue still glared at the ground anxiously, and neither Green nor Vio had awoken. He left Vio to Blue, gently shaking Green’s shoulder, then more forcefully when his brother groaned in protest.

“Green, wake up.”

Green’s eyes opened blearily, and he shook his head to rid himself of the sleepiness still clinging to his mind. He sat up, rubbing his eyes before he froze, inhaling sharply as the recollection of last night hit him. Red frowned when Green’s cheeks turned pink, and his brother looked away quickly in shame. His heart ached at the thought of Green feeling embarrassed over his breakdown the night before, but then determination wrapped its way around his heart; no one should feel ashamed for needing help, and he refused to let his brothers feel that way.

Red placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly when Green looked to him again.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked. It would be better to not mention his breakdown. He could comfort his brother without bringing it up.

Green nodded slowly, shoulders falling in relief when Red didn’t bring up the night before. “I did, actually.”

Red hummed cheerfully, grateful his brother had managed decent rest after such a horrid nightmare. The mere thought of witnessing such things… Green hadn’t been specific, yet the thought of such a dream left Red shuddering.

“Go away.”

They both turned at the sound of Vio’s voice, snickering when they saw him swatting half-heartedly at Blue’s hands. Blue huffed, leaning back and glaring down at Vio, who only rolled over and drifted off again.

“Red?”

He hummed curiously, tilting his head when Blue turned back to him.

“Get my canteen, would you?”

Red raised a hand to stifle the snort that left his mouth. He quickly passed over the canteen, eager to see how this played out.

Blue removed the lid, staring down at Vio as though to give him one last chance to get up, before he shrugged, tipping half of the thing over his brother’s face. Red chuckled when Vio squawked in surprise, bolting upright and sending water flying everywhere. Blue had no qualms with letting out a bark of laughter, and even Green snorted from behind Red.

Vio turned to them with narrowed eyes filled with fire, only for the flames to sputter out when he noticed the rest of the Links sitting behind them.

“Oh.”

Blue hummed his agreement, passing Vio a cloth to wipe his face with. Vio snatched it from his hands, but said nothing more, slowly cleaning up the water. Red had a feeling he was taking his time so as to avoid the gazes of their companions.

That was fine, Red already knew he would be telling their story, this time. He took the canteen from Blue, passing it to Green, as his brother was likely still dehydrated. He then turned to the rest of the group, swallowing the thick nerves down and forcing his hands to be still.

“I’ll explain everything to you all, now.”

When he had their attention, he told them what he could. He told them of how he and his brothers came into being, the Four Sword granting them with the ability to split, and he told them of how they could split or fuse at will, even without the sword—though it helped. Red mentioned their different personalities and their names. He didn’t tell them _why_ they were split now, hoping the others would chalk it up to an accident on their part and leave them be.

Of course, Hylia rarely granted them what they wanted.

“Well, since you hadn’t mentioned this ability before, why are you guys split now? It can’t be because you wanted to surprise us.”

Legend was more perceptive than Red gave him credit for. He had to look away when Legend’s gaze became too much, and he couldn’t think of an answer that wouldn’t give them away. His brothers remained silent, too, stuck in the same boat as him.

Time cleared his throat, standing up and moving closer from where he had been leaning against a tree, his arms crossed as he stared them down. “They’re split now because Four fell apart last night.”

Red’s flinched, eyes snapping up to meet Time’s as though to beg the man to not tell the others the truth. He didn’t want them to know how _weak_ and _fragile_ the monster had made them feel.

“Fell apart?”

Time turned away from Red’s eyes to look at Wind. He nodded. “They can only remain as Four if they’re all okay, and that monster we fought yesterday upset Four.”

Wind’s eyes widened in understanding, and Red cursed Time for sharing their secret—and Sky, too, for telling him it, even if it had been necessary to inform their leader of the development, even if they had agreed to him sharing it the night before. “You guys didn’t say anything, though!”

Blue scoffed, the most they had gotten out of him besides saying his name shortly. “What would we say? That seeing that thing made us feel like we were falling apart at the seams?”

“Yes!” Wind narrowed his eyes, as though daring Blue to refute his words.

Blue rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t have understood why, anyway.”

Wind opened his mouth to reply, likely with colourful language, when Time placed a hand over his shoulder. The Sailor quieted instantly, though he still glared at Blue.

Red would need to assure him that Blue wasn’t angry with him, later, only lashing out. The others didn’t understand his brothers like he did, and Blue’s initial response to anything was anger.

“We can’t do anything about it now,” Time said, before turning back to the Colours. “Can you try to fuse, now? Perhaps, it will work now that you’re all rested.”

Red pursed his lips, but nodded and stood. He highly doubted it would work, if Blue was lashing out, and his own mind still ran a mile an hour, taunting him with images of that cruel thing and scenes from the nightmare Green had described. But it was worth a try.

Red took his brothers’ hands, closing his eyes as they initiated the fusion. A smile graced his lips as the warm, fuzzy sensation spread from his chest, his _soul_ , across his body, leaving his fingers and toes buzzing. Light pressed against his eyelids, as it always did when they began to fuse, and he squeezed them shut tighter to avoid becoming dazed—the one time he had done that, his brothers had scolded his within the fusion when Four came out half-blinded. His soul began to moved closer to his brothers, and hope filled his chest, bright and bubbly.

Only to be crushed when they were abruptly thrown apart _again_. Sky caught him before he could hit the ground, much to his relief. He hated the thought of another bruise on his back, especially after yesterday.

“Guess we can’t,” Green said, sitting up and shaking his head tiredly.

“Which one of you was it this time?” Blue growled, turning from his place on the ground to glare at them.

Neither he nor his brothers could meet Blue’s furious gaze.

“Of course,” Blue huffed, crossing his arms and turning his glare to the ground.

“Why didn’t it work?” Time asked, ignoring Blue’s irritation, for which Red was grateful. He’d rather avoid having to pull Blue away from an unnecessary fight.

“It seems we still need a bit more time after seeing that _thing_ ,” Vio admitted, biting his lip anxiously. His gaze fell, eyes glazing over as he looked into his hands vacantly. Red pursed his lips, turning to shoot Sky an appreciative smile before moving to sit by his brother. He bumped knees with him, and Vio jumped as he was torn from his own mind as Red had hoped, shoulders slumping in relief when he realised it was only him. Vio took his hand gratefully, lacing their fingers together to keep himself grounded.

“That’s okay,” Wind replied once they had settled. “We can spend more time with you all, now.”

Green rolled his eyes, though a fond smile played on his lips. “You spend time with us every day.”

Wind pouted, crossing his arms and looking every bit the child he was. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Alright, alright,” Green said, relenting. It wasn’t as though they had much of a choice, anyway.

Red couldn’t help but smile at Wind’s enthusiasm to ‘meet’ them, though.

*

The moment the rest of the Links had scattered to pack up, Blue had shoved Red and his brothers away, muttering about how he would sort out their bag so they “wouldn’t make a mess of things.”

Red had only shrugged, grateful to get out of the chore. He had made his way to the side of the clearing, dropping down into a sunny patch of soft grass, spreading out as the warmth washed over him pleasantly. Green and Vio had drifted away to talk to Twilight and Wild respectively, leaving him to his own devices for the first time in _months_.

Which left Red alone, watching as the others packed away their items in hopes to distract himself from the guilt that wrapped his heart in chains. A part of him wanted to talk to Blue about this, as his brother was always a strong presence when he needed him, and while he knew the other wouldn’t judge or mock him, he refused to push this onto Blue when his brother had to be hurting too. He could find a distraction instead and worry about the guilt later.

His eyes fell onto Sky, and he watched as the man packed his bag at a _painfully_ slow pace. Red frowned worriedly when Sky nearly dropped his journal, fumbling with the book for a moment before he caught it, as though his mind had drifted a little too far while packing. Sky let out a sigh of relief, turning in Red’s direction to slip the item into his bag. Red inhaled sharply at the darkness smudged beneath Sky’s eyes, and at the way his lips were turned downward. Sky looked downright _miserable_

What had happened to their cheerful Skyloftian? Red couldn’t just leave him like this, not now that he knew something was wrong. He simply wasn’t the type of person who _could_ leave someone alone once he knew they were upset, having received a significant portion of Link’s empathy in the split.

Red stood, more than eager to help Sky with whatever was ailing him, and in the process distract himself from the thought of that _thing_ , and the guilt that had settled over him like thick fog. If he hadn’t fallen apart like that, then _Four_ wouldn’t have fallen apart.

He shook his head, refusing to linger on the thoughts that had kept him up the night before. Not now, in daylight where everyone could see him. If his brothers saw him crumble over _this_ , then they would surely scoff at him.

But he didn’t want to think about it right now.

Red picked his way between Wind and Warriors, who were tossing items to one another from where their bedrolls had gotten mixed up, offering Time a strained smile as he passed their leader. Finally, he dropped down cross-legged by Sky’s side, the other not seeming to notice him, continuing to pack absentmindedly.

After a long moment had passed with Sky no more aware of his presence, Red decided he should speak up. “Whatcha up to?”

Sky jumped, head whipping around to face Red, the cup in his hand falling to the ground and rolling away. He placed a hand to his chest, as though to try and settle his racing heart. “Red,” he said, taking in a deep breath, before turning away to pick up the cup he had dropped. “I didn’t see you there.”

Red hummed, concern festering in his chest. Sky was usually more aware than this, even when he was _exhausted_.

“Are you okay?”

Sky fumbled with the cup, catching it in time before it fell again. His lips thinned, and he placed the item away with shaky hands. “I’m fine,” he said, turning to offer Red a grin that was painfully forced.

Red raised an eyebrow, and the grin fell away with a sigh. “Alright, I guess you caught me.”

Red nearly smiled at the achievement, warmth filling his chest for a moment before he saw the way Sky’s brows creased, the sensation replaced with fervent concern.

“What’s wrong?” Red asked, shifting closer to bump knees with Sky—his own way of showing he was there for the man, and that he would listen.

Sky pursed his lips, taking a moment to put his thoughts into words. Red waited patiently, more than used to waiting for his brothers to do the same. Urging him to hurry would only make him clam up, and that was the last thing Red wanted.

Sky spared a glance at the rest of the group, satisfied only when he saw they were distracted with their own things. “I’m just worried about you guys,” he admitted.

Red blinked in surprise, taken aback by Sky’s words. He was worried about _them_?

“Us?”

Sky nodded, turning to face him, and only then did Red realise his brows were furrowed in concern, not misery as he had assumed. Why was Sky concerned for them?

“You guys fell apart last night, and I saw how upset Green was. I’m just worried about all of you after that, especially if you all felt bad enough to be unable to fuse again.”

“Oh,” Red breathed, looking away. He bit his lip nervously, but Sky had already seen right through them all. He had caught them at their worst, and now he was concerned for them.

“Green’s nightmare was… unpleasant. I think he’s doing better today, though,” Red assured Sky, offering him a faint smile. “Vio needs a bit more time, I think, and Blue…” he trailed off, eyes flicking over to where Blue was shoving Warriors away from him with a scowl, though Red could see the mirth that lit up his eyes. “Blue’s fine.”

“What about you?”

Red started at the question, turning back to Sky and meeting his eyes before he could stop himself. “Me?”

Sky nodded. “Are _you_ okay?”

Something in Red’s gut twisted at that, and he had to look away from Sky’s gaze, fearful he would see straight through him.

“I’m…” Red couldn’t say he was _fine_. He hated lying, especially blatantly, and Sky didn’t deserve deception. But how could he admit to the man that he wasn’t okay when he couldn’t admit it to himself?

Sky hummed worriedly when Red said nothing more, uncertain as to how he could proceed. He hadn’t defended himself; he might as well have admitted he wasn’t fine. “Did you want to talk about it?”

Red bit his lip harshly against the swell of emotion within him. Of course, he wanted to share this burden with someone, but did he really deserve to after he had caused their secret to come to light, all because he couldn’t keep it together?

What if they couldn’t…

“I…” he swallowed thickly, unsure as to how to respond. What if he opened up and Sky only agreed with his fears?

Although, the man _had_ been kind to them all last night.

“I won’t judge you,” Sky said, a gentle smile on his face, as though he understood what Red might be thinking. “I would never yell at you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Red nodded slowly, as though mulling it over in his head. He had already decided, however—the weight of his thoughts was too much to bear.

“If you don’t want to talk, that’s okay too,” Sky added, shifting back slightly as though worried he was appearing too overbearing.

Red shook his head. “No, I do. I just…” He shot a wary glance around the clearing, eyes lingering upon each of his brothers. If they overheard his fears, his guilt, would they agree with him?

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Sky suggested, following his gaze.

Red nodded instantly, more than eager to be out of earshot of the rest of the group. Sky smiled understandingly, pulling himself up and offering a hand to Red. Shoulders dropping in relief, Red took the hand, lacing their fingers together and allowing Sky to take over and lead them into the forest, pausing only to send a meaningful look to Time. They passed over mossy rocks and fallen logs, pushing aside low-hanging branches and wispy vines as they went. Sky didn’t halt them for a few minutes, waiting until they were out of earshot, but keeping them close enough to call for help should they need it.

They sat down in a patch of warm sunlight, the soft grass enveloping their legs in a gentle embrace. Red tore out shoots of grass from the ground when nerves tumbled into his stomach again. Now that they were here, he had no excuses to delay talking anymore, and while he knew Sky would respect his decision should he choose to back out, he doubted he would be able to forgive himself for not taking the opportunity he had been granted.

“So,” Sky prompted, leaning back on his hands, a gentle smile resting on his lips that eased some of the nerves buzzing under Red’s skin. “What’s on your mind?”

Red let out a sigh, offering Sky a weak smile before he turned back to the grass. What was the point in delaying the inevitable, anyway?

“I’m not okay,” he started, wincing when his heart panged at the admission, all the pain he had denied rising up and leaving his chest aching. How could he be okay after all that had occurred in the past day?

Sky nodded, as though he had expected the words. He didn’t say anything, waiting patiently for Red to continue.

“That thing went against everything our fusion stands for. It wasn’t together because of the love and trust the monsters felt for one another, but because another being forced it. I let it get to me,” Red said, shaking his head, disgusted by his own actions. If only he had held himself together.

“I didn’t realise…” Sky said, lips thin. Of course, none of the other heroes had realised _why_ the monster had gotten to them.

“The others were upset by it too, but,” he paused, hesitating. Should he admit the truth?

“It’s okay,” Sky reassured him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. When Red relaxed under the touch, rather than pulling away, Sky moved closer to wrap an arm around his shoulders. Red leaned into Sky’s side, grateful for the sturdy comfort. It helped more than he could express with words.

“But it was my fault we fell apart,” Red admitted, tears burning in his eyes as the regret hit him like a club. He _hated_ that he was so weak as to submit to his emotions while his brothers could easily brush them to the side for later. When the ache in his chest became too much, he wrapped his arms around himself tightly in hopes of alleviating the sensation. It didn’t help.

Sky frowned, but he set about rubbing Red’s arm soothingly when he took in a shuddering breath. “What do you mean?”

Swallowing thickly, Red shared the thoughts that had tormented him for well over an hour the night before. “If I hadn’t gotten so upset, we never would have fallen apart in the first place. I thought I could hold it together, but then the others started arguing, and everything was so overwhelming and I just—” he shook his head. “I was too weak.”

“That doesn’t make you weak, Red.”

Red scoffed, scrubbing at his eyes harshly when tears almost spilled over. He refused to allow himself to cry over something that was his own fault. “I _am_. And now we can’t fuse back together. What if… what if we can never fuse again, and it’s all my fault?”

More tears blurred his vision as he spoke the words which weighed more than his thoughts could ever hope to. He turned to bury his face into Sky’s shoulder before they could leave burning trails down his face, however, even if the comfort felt undeserved. Red wasn’t like his brothers: he couldn’t hold himself together, and his emotions always came like punches to the gut that he couldn’t avoid as his brothers would. He _hated_ that he couldn’t be like them, and he hated that he was the reason that they were still split up despite his brothers’ efforts to fuse again.

Sky wrapped his other arm around Red instantly, and he found himself sobbing when Sky placed a gentle hand in his hair, the other rubbing his back soothingly, as Green had done for him the day before.

“It’s okay, Red. I’ve got you.”

And he held onto him while he cried, though Red didn’t have many tears left after yesterday. Sky didn’t pressure him, only began to hum a song now long-forgotten, the sweet tune filling the clearing and easing the pain in Red’s heart.

Even after Red had settled, Sky still held onto him, as though sensing he wasn’t ready to lose the comfort just yet.

“Red,” Sky began, waiting for a nod of acknowledgement before continuing. “I don’t think any of this is your fault. Just listen,” he added when Red began shaking his head.

He hesitated, but nodded. Sky had listened to him without interrupting, and it was only right he do the same.

“You can’t blame yourself for _feeling_ , Red. It’s not your fault if you became overwhelmed, just as it’s not your fault you all fell apart.” He shushed Red when he tried to argue again.

“ _It’s not your fault_ ,” Sky said again for emphasis. “Anyone would lose themselves if they saw something that went so against their morals as that monster did with you all, and to try and deal with your brothers arguing on top of that? I don’t blame you for feeling overwhelmed, and you shouldn’t either.”

Red let out a shuddering breath, nodding. If Sky was certain…

“And,” Sky said, capturing his attention again. “I’m certain you’ll all be able to fuse again soon. You said you can’t if one of you isn’t feeling okay?”

“If we’re _really_ upset,” Red agreed.

“Then I can see why you still can’t, now.” When Red pulled back to look at Sky quizzically, the man only smiled, reaching up to brush away any tears lingering on his face. “ _You_ weren’t feeling okay, Red. You can’t expect to fuse when you’re still upset, and pushing your emotions to the side won’t fix that.”

Oh. Sky was right. It was no wonder they couldn’t fuse when he had been trying to push down any unruly emotions, rather than accepting them and letting himself _feel_.

“Thanks,” Red said, smiling gratefully when the weight was lifted from his shoulders, the burdens that had weighed him down dissipating. “You helped a lot.”

Sky beamed at him. “Of course! You’re my friend, and I’ll always do my best to help a friend in need.”

A friend… Sky had only truly known the Colours for less than a day, and yet he already considered Red a friend?

In response, Red leaned back into the embrace and finally returned it.

*

Vio rolled his eyes as Blue shoved them all away from their pack, ever the meticulous Colour. While he was grateful that he had gotten out of packing away the obscene number of items they had each taken out as the night wore on, he now had no distractions from the vivid flashes of that _thing_ that constantly appeared in his vision.

He grimaced at the mere thought of the monster, shaking his head before his mind could offer up another mental image of the horrific fusion. Instead, he forced himself to focus on the other Links before him. Talking with one of them would help distract him, but he couldn’t stand anything _too_ overwhelming at this time of the morning. Normally, he would talk through his issues with Blue—they all did—but he refused to burden his brother with this when he had other options.

Legend and Warriors were out of the question, the two muttering to one another and shooting glances at Blue every-so-often. Blue would enjoy their company, Vio knew that much. Time would be a good choice, but the man had left to scout after their explanation. Wild, however wasn’t usually _too_ excitable—at least, not at this time of the morning—and Vio _was_ intrigued as to what was currently cooking in the wok, a pleasant aroma filling the air.

The Champion would do just fine, then.

With a nod to himself, Vio moved into the middle of the clearing, offering Wild a smile when their eyes met. Vio noted the topaz earrings glinting in the early light—a they day, then.

“Mind if I join you?” Vio asked them, waiting for a hum of assent before he sat down across from them—he knew better than to get in Wild’s way when they were cooking.

The warmth of the fire pressed against his chest, grounding him from losing himself to thoughts of that creature again. He had awoken in the middle of the night when vivid flashes painted his eyelids, and it had been a long time before he had stopped shaking enough to drift off again—burying his face into Green’s hair had helped significantly, and he had cursed himself for lying there, staring unblinkingly at the sky for so long. He shook away the memory. That had been last night, and he was here, now.

“Were you taught how to cook?” He asked Wild, eager for a conversation. Anything he could use to ground himself.

Wild looked up at him, though they continued to stir the vegetable soup they were cooking, not faltering once. Vio couldn’t help but admire their skill.

Wild shook their head. “Not that I recall, no.” They chuckled, then, raising a hand, closing their fist and letting it bump against their head as they often did when talking about their memory. “Not that I remember much. I taught myself how to cook on my adventure. It took months before I was ready to take on Ganon, and cooking was one of my only comforts on nights I was alone. You learn what ingredients work with one another after so many spoiled meals.”

Vio couldn’t help but laugh at their words. The very idea of Wild messing up a dish was something he couldn’t imagine no matter how hard he tried, thoughts of all the amazing dishes their Cook created for them each night making it impossible.

“It’s true!” Wild said, but they laughed with him. “I was an _awful_ cook, when I first woke up.”

Vio shook his head in disbelief, rolling his eyes fondly. “You know, I did a little cooking on our own adventure.”

If he didn’t have Wild’s attention before, he most certainly had it now. “Really?” The Champion’s eyes were alight with intrigue, and they leaned closer, before jumping back when the heat of the flames hit them with a yelp.

Vio snorted at the action, but nodded. “I’ve always been interested in learning, and cooking intrigued me. The others didn’t seem to care for it, though I didn’t mind cooking where I could.” He wouldn’t mention the nights his brothers had survived off of bread rolls and apples in his absence, the guilt too old to cause much more than a faint pang in his heart. Regretting the past wouldn’t get him anywhere.

“I was never as good as you, though,” he added. He doubted many could consider their skills on par with Wild’s.

Wild hummed, reaching back to draw some ground up rock salt from their slate, tossing it into the soup without a second thought and stirring it in. “I can teach you, if you’d like?”

Vio brightened at the idea. “I would love that.”

Wild grinned, gesturing for him to move closer as they explained how the salt brought out flavours. Vio nodded, listening as Wild switched to talking about different ways to cut up the vegetables, bringing out their cutting knife to show him.

Vio’s breath hitched at the sight of the blade, and he flinched when the sun’s rays met silver.

 _Their sword glinted in the sunlight, the_ thing _letting out a piercing screech when they slashed off its arm. The arm that was a horrid, gnarled mix of moblin and lizalfos forced together._

“Vio?”

He shook himself, squeezing his eyes shut against the memory. A hand landed on his shoulder and he jumped, eyes snapping open to meet Wild’s. The Champion had moved closer to him, settling down by his side without him noticing. Usually, he was more perceptive than this; usually, he wasn’t tormented by memories of horrid, forced fusions.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Vio let out a shaky breath, grateful for Wild’s hand still on his shoulder when it grounded him from falling under the torment of another vivid image.

“I just… can’t seem to stop thinking about that monster,” he admitted. There was no purpose to hiding this now, not when Wild had seen the effects of the flashes. 

“The one we fought yesterday?”

Vio nodded. “I keep getting flashes of our fight with it, and… sometimes my mind torments me with images of my brothers and I in a similar position.” He shuddered at the thought. _Those_ had been particularly awful the night before, especially after hearing of Green’s nightmare.

Wild frowned in thought. “I think I understand how you feel,” they began, smiling when Vio’s gaze whipped up to them. “I used to get them a lot when I first defeated The Calamity.”

Vio’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Wild nodded. “It was a horrific beast, and I saw it everywhere.”

“How did you get them to stop?” Vio asked. Wild _had_ to have a solution. He didn’t know what he would do if they told him the flashes still tormented them.

“I talked to Zelda about it,” Wild said, a faint smile upon their face at the thought of her. “Admitting I was having them helped immensely. I couldn’t heal until I came to terms with what had happened, though. It was traumatising for me, but accepting that it had happened, rather than denying it, helped the most. That and a little time did wonders for me.”

Vio nodded, lowering his gaze as he turned their words over. He had already admitted the issue to them, so step one was complete. But accepting what had happened? Was it really that simple?

“I really just have to accept it?”

Wild nodded. “It’ll help, I promise. If you keep trying to push it to the side, or shoving it away, they’ll keep coming.”

Vio nodded, his shoulders relaxing at the thought of the horrid flashes leaving him. He wasn’t certain he could simply move past the existence of that _thing_ yet, but he could work on not pushing it away as he had been doing.

“Thank you,” he said, smiling up at Wild in appreciation. Their advice was perfect. He just needed a little more time.

Wild waved him off. “Anytime. I’m always glad to help. Now, have you ever heard of monster extract?”

Vio’s eyebrows rose curiously, and before he knew it, Wild had brought out a purple bottle. As he listened to them explain, he found the flashes long-forgotten.

*

Green stumbled when Blue shoved him away, turning back to scowl at his brother half-heartedly. Blue had given him the perfect opportunity to talk to the other Links as one, rather than four—and he didn’t want to burden his brother when he had eight others he could rely on. But… which one? _Four_ was close enough to the rest of the group and more than comfortable initiating conversations. But he wasn’t Four, he was _Green_.

So, which one should he talk to?

As he scanned the bustling forms of the other Links, each packing away their bags, his eyes met Twilight’s. The man smiled at him warmly, jerking his head for him to come closer. Green blinked in surprise. Twilight wanted to talk to _him_?

Well, none of the other Links were trying to gain his attention, and Four was closer to Twilight than some of the others. He stood, before hesitating as a thought hit him. Would Twilight be mad at them— _him_ —for keeping their ability secret? The man had entrusted them with his transformation _well_ before he had come clean to the rest of the group, and yet Four had still kept this secret from him.

Twilight waved for him to hurry up, and Green resigned himself to taking the verbal lashing for the rest of the Colours. At least it would distract him from his breakdown the night before. Hylia, did he not want to think about _that_. Besides, it was his fault their secret was out, and it was only fair he took the repercussions from it.

Green sat down next to his friend when Twilight patted the ground beside him. The man offered him another warm smile, before turning back to packing the last of his items away.

Unease settled into Green’s gut as he waited for Twilight to finish, and he wondered if the man was collecting his thoughts in preparation of his inevitable scolding. He flinched when Twilight clipped his bag shut with a loud _snap_ before turning back to him.

“So, how are you handling things?”

Green couldn’t hold back his shock, voice catching in his throat in his surprise. Twilight wasn’t yelling at him?

“I’m… alright,” he said. And he was, if _alright_ meant drowning in shame and guilt, that is.

“Are you the quiet part of Four, then?” Twilight asked, eyes roaming over to where Vio was talking excitedly with Wild, and Blue was snickering with Legend and Warriors, Green following his gaze. He couldn’t see Red, but Sky was missing too, so he had no doubt his brother was with him.

Green shook his head. “No, I’m just—” he cut himself off, cursing his own stupidity when Twilight raised an eyebrow as though to tease him.

Twilight hummed when Green said no more, turning to face him fully. “I’ve been meaning to ask, what happened last night? Four seemed…” he pursed his lips in thought, “well, he seemed alright, even after you took his place.” He shot a meaningful look at Green, one that had him looking away nervously. “Then, we woke up to the four of you instead.”

Green grimaced. A part of him wished Red hadn’t given away that it had been _him_ , rather than all of them together still, when everyone went to bed. It left him with no excuses to give to Twilight.

“I had a nightmare,” he admitted, looking away in shame. Talking about it last night had helped him deal with the nightmare, thankfully, but it wasn’t the only thing on his mind.

Twilight nodded, humming curiously to urge him to continue. If it was what Twilight wanted to hear, then who was Green to hold it back?

“We were fighting that monster again,” Green said, taking in a deep breath to soothe his nerves when the mere thought of the monster still rattled him. “Except this time, we fell apart in front of you all. You guys… didn’t accept us.” That was putting it lightly, but he didn’t want to mention how quickly the group had turned on them.

“And my brothers—” He cringed, shaking his head when _died_ wouldn’t leave his mouth, his throat closing up, though Twilight seemed to understand, nodding sagely. Green sniffled when _more_ tears pricked at his eyes—hadn’t he cried enough last night?

When Twilight shifted, Green frowned curiously, raising his head only to jump when something was placed over his shoulders. Reaching up slowly, a gasp left his lips when his fingers met soft fur, his eyes flitting up to see Twilight had taken off his pelt. The man _rarely_ took the thing off, the few times Four had seen him do so had been to comfort Wild and, on one occasion, Wind.

Twilight was trying to comfort him, now. The realisation left him swallowing thickly, eyes burning.

“You know,” Twilight began, smiling warmly at Green when their eyes met. “I used to have similar dreams about my shifting abilities.”

Green paused, the tears fading, replaced with curiosity that burned deep. Twilight had felt something similar to what they had? But, he had always seemed so confident, even when he told the rest of the group.

Twilight chuckled at his reaction. “It’s true! It took some time before I was able to accept that part of me, and only Zelda and the Ordonians know of the ability, so I was used to hiding it around other people. I had the luxury of choosing when I shared this ability, when I was certain everyone would be understanding. I thought: everyone here loves me, just as they love Wolfie.”

“Even if he steals their portions of dinner?” Green asked with a smirk.

Twilight snorted. “Okay, maybe they don’t love _that_. But.” He raised a meaningful eyebrow at Green, and he knew it would be best to settle down and listen. “It’s the same with you all, even if you didn’t have the time to work it out yourself. We all love Four,” Green blushed at his words, looking away, “so, why would we hate the pieces that make him?”

Green sniffled again, reaching up to rub at his burning eyes, though this time, they were tears of relief. He still felt ashamed of his actions the night before, but Twilight hadn’t judged him in the slightest, had seen _why_ he had had the nightmare in the first place and tackled the fears that ailed him. Perhaps, sharing their secret unintentionally hadn’t been nearly as bad as his mind told him it ought to be.

“Thanks,” he said, taking in a deep breath to rid himself of the tears before he turned to Twilight.

Twilight nodded, patting him on the back before standing. “Don’t forget that we care, alright, Green?”

The man waited until Green dipped his head in understanding before he left, leaving one more gentle smile and his furs in his wake. Green couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Twilight move over to join Wild and Vio, ruffling his brother’s hair as he passed and earning a scowl.

A smile pulled at his own lips, soft and slight, and he tugged the furs tighter over his shoulders as he sat back, his heart lighter than it had been in over a day.

Perhaps being wrong wasn’t always a bad thing, then.

*

Blue let out a sigh of relief as his brothers left, his shoulders slumping for the first time since he had awoken. Despite how they tried to hide it, Blue could see how his brothers were still struggling with the aftermath of seeing that _thing_ —and he couldn’t deny that he was too, not to himself. Such a creature went against everything he and his brothers stood for. Even though they were the same soul, fragmented into four separate pieces, they had no obligation to fuse together to form Four—they could hardly call themselves Link, anymore. They had a choice in their fusion, and they did it because they _loved_ one another, and they _trusted_ each other. Their fusion was founded on that love and trust they bore for one another, which had been melded with time.

The monster they had fought yesterday hadn’t had such a liberty. It was the opposite of Four: the thing had been forced together, and the pain such a fusion caused still rattled in Blue’s brain in the form of screeching wails. The lack of trust and love the creatures held for one another showed in the monster’s clumsy movements, and the way it hadn’t been fitted together smoothly, arms twisted horridly, and eyes wide in agony.

The forced fusion had kept Blue up for _hours_ the night before, his eyes wide open, staring unseeingly at the glittering stars above long after Red had finally drifted off.

Out of all of his brothers, _he_ had been the one keeping them from fusing sooner, back when they first split. His own inability to trust the others—to trust _anyone_ —had kept them apart for several weeks longer than necessary, though he had found excuses to avoid it until he was ready.

To see something like that _monster_ , a fusion _forced_ together against its will, had almost left him trembling in his boots—he had shoved the feelings down before they could affect his own fusion, thankfully. The monsters hadn’t been given the chance he had had, nor the time to trust; they had been forced into something they _hated_ without any regard to their own feelings—what little emotion the monsters had. The monster had disturbed him deeply, and it infuriated him that Dark had sunk low enough to do such a thing. It upset him more than he wanted to admit, to see monsters forced together like that as though the time he himself had taken to trust didn’t matter—or perhaps, Dark had done it to rattle _him_ personally.

But, his brothers needed him to be strong for them, as they always did when something went wrong. He was the rock in their group, sturdy and unflinching against even the harshest of storms. His brothers could take shelter under his arms, and he would protect them—he _always_ had, and he always would.

Blue couldn’t crumble now, not when his brothers could come to him at any moment, desperate for someone sturdy to protect them while they fell apart. This wouldn’t be the first time he shoved something down to help his brothers, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. Even _if_ this time hurt more to ignore, even if the emotions kept rearing their ugly heads, he could ignore it and keep an impassive face. The feelings would fade soon enough, just as they always did after talking with his brothers. Helping them through their pain served him, as well—though, he would still do it even if it didn’t help him in the slightest, if only to see the light return to their eyes and the smiles return to their faces.

He would be _fine_ , soon enough. For now, he could make do with shoving their items away considerably harsher than necessary in a similar way to how he shoved his feelings down.

“So,” a voice drawled from his left side. Blue glanced over to see who it was, only to roll his eyes and return to the task at hand.

“What?”

“Whatcha doing?” Legend asked, leaning into his space as though determined to annoy him. Blue wouldn’t put it past the Veteran, with his constant short jokes aimed at Four.

Blue let out a heavy sigh, clipping the bag shut before turning to Legend with one eyebrow raised. “What does it look like?”

Legend paused, taken aback by his attitude, Blue assumed. Then, a smirk pulled at his lips, eyes lighting up with glee. “So, you’re the Colour with spunk, huh?”

Blue snorted. “Don’t you forget it.” His brothers certainly didn’t possess his level of sarcasm—though Vio’s wits came close, he didn’t have the passion behind it.

Warriors dropped down on Blue’s other side, leaning into him dramatically. “Oh! I see you’ve found the fun Colour.”

Blue raised an eyebrow, shoving him off with a roll of his eyes. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Warriors best take care to choose his next words well; only Blue was allowed to make fun of his brothers, after all.

“Well,” Warriors began, pausing to think over his words as Blue had hoped. He’d hate to get into a fight so soon, though it _would_ give him an outlet. “Your brothers don’t possess that _spark_ : they’re too nice.”

Blue couldn’t argue with that logic. There was a reason he had taken the role of their protector.

“And,” Legend added, drawing his attention over to him. “They seem quite mopey, right now.”

Blue scowled, narrowing his eyes warningly. “What we saw upset them,” he said lowly.

Legend hummed, as though Blue’s words had been what he wanted. “But not you?”

Ice spread across Blue’s chest at the reminder of his own emotions, but he refused to let it show across his face, only narrowing his eyes farther and shoving the feelings back down where they belonged.

“It seems Four is having a bit of a tough time,” Warriors said, leaning his elbow on Blue’s shoulder and earning a glare. “I’m sure it would help to talk about it, if you need to,” he offered, raising a brow quizzically.

Blue hesitated. Both Legend and Warriors seemed sincere, not a hint of malicious intent within their eyes. They didn’t seem the type to blackmail someone over being upset.

But then, Blue’s gaze drifted over to his brothers, and he noticed the lines of stress upon their faces and exhaustion under their eyes and he knew he couldn’t. What if he tried to talk about how he felt, and he couldn’t keep it together? What if his brothers saw him like _that_ and felt as though they couldn’t come to him when they needed him most?

“I’m fine,” he said, crossing his arms when the numbness spread at the denial of his own emotions. Despite having long since become accustomed to the sensation, he still found himself shuddering uneasily.

Warriors and Legend shared a look, as though debating whether or not Blue was being honest; he wasn’t, and he knew it was obvious—or at least, he thought it was.

But then the two of them shrugged, accepting his answer, and Blue thought maybe he was better at hiding his pain than he initially thought.

Good. He couldn’t have _anyone_ see through him, especially his brothers. It wouldn’t be long before they came to talk to him, he could _feel_ it, and then he would feel better, too.

He would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this one is by far the longest, but I wasn't certain where else to end it. Let me know if you see any mistakes and I hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue overthinks.

The group had to keep moving, regardless of Four’s split. Staying in the same place for too long put them at risk—unless, of course, it was within a town. The middle of Twilight’s Faron woods wasn’t a place they wanted to linger, not with the moblins lining the trail.

Blue had taken a deep breath to settle the unease that pressed against his chest and shouldered their bag, only to be met with nauseating swirls coating his vision. He shut his eyes instantly, knowing better than to watch the twisting mess of colours that accompanied a switch. They had all made that mistake once and lost their lunches.

Blue kept his eyes shut even after his stomach lurched and his feet hit solid ground, counting to five seconds slowly. The swirls would linger once they had been placed, and unless the shouts of moblins met his ears, Blue wouldn’t risk losing breakfast until he knew the switch was complete.

Instead of the dreaded monsters they often met upon switching eras, Blue only heard the distant crashing of the ocean and birds chirping. The air was perfumed by the sweet scent of flowers, but salt lingered in the gentle breeze brushing by.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with a brilliant blue sky stretching out before him and a view of an expansive land he knew existed in only one of their eras. Then he made the mistake of looking down, stomach lurching when he noticed the drop only inches before him. Blue staggered backwards, heart racing. While the drop wouldn’t _kill_ him, as it went into a narrow lake, the slope itself would injure him, jagged rock jutting out from the earth certain to tear open skin and break bones.

He turned in alarm as a yelp met the air, only to sigh in relief when he saw Wild clutching onto the back of Hyrule’s tunic and preventing him from falling. The Traveller turned to wrap his arms around Wild the moment he was pulled back to stable ground, a sentiment Blue shared—he would _hate_ for any of them to be injured during a switch. It had happened before, but it seemed this time they were relatively safe. 

A high trill pierced the air and Blue turned to the source curiously to see Wild whipping around in surprise, earrings glinting in the early morning light—Blue noted that they were topaz earrings today. A bright grin broke out on Wild’s face and they looked to the group excitedly.

“This is my era,” they said, lowering their gaze back to the slate to determine where they had been dropped as Blue resisted the urge to mutter _no shit_. “It looks like we’re on Tuft mountain. We can make it to Lurelin village in a couple of hours and try find information there.”

The group perked up at the thought of reaching a village so soon in Wild’s world. The place was _expansive_ , stretching out farther than the eye could see, and it took weeks to traverse the land. To be dropped only a couple hours away from a village—and an _inn_ with _beds_ —was a blessing they wouldn’t throw away. Not to mention, it would save them time on searching for information; the sooner they found whatever monster Dark had let loose in Wild’s era, the sooner they could move on.

Wild led them across the peak of the mountain, pausing to kneel by a heart-shaped pond in its centre, surrounded by flowers of soft reds, blues and yellows—that explained why the air was so heavy with the scent of flowers, then.

“The water is clean,” Wild said, and something in their eyes told Blue they knew this from experience. Blue wouldn’t be surprised if Wild had tried the water themself to find out for sure, completely disregarding their own health—it wasn't unlike the Champion to do as such.

Kneeling down by the pool of water, Blue uncapped Four’s canteen and finished off the last of the water within it before he dipped the canteen into the clear depths. Between himself and his brothers, they would need as much water as they could get regardless of how close the village was. He would need to be prepared for when his brothers came to talk to him; Red _always_ cried when he talked things out with Blue, his emotions attacking him with vigour that none of the others experienced. Green might cry, too, after the nightmare he had had, but he doubted Vio would. Regardless, he wanted to be ready. Once the canteen was filled with the cool, crisp water, he screwed the cap back on and tucked it away with a nod to himself, standing back to let the others move forward and do the same.

The moment the group was done, Wild waved for everyone to follow as they led the way to the edge of the peak, this side sloping down, rather than a steep drop that would lead to broken bones. The slope smoothed out onto a grassy trail only a few metres down, which twisted down the side of the mountain and presumably towards Lurelin Village.

The rest of the group filed down the slope, wary of slipping and injuring themselves—wasting a potion on a broken ankle was _not_ something they enjoyed doing, not when it was caused by a lack of care.

Blue took up the rear of the group, lagging behind to avoid conversations he wasn’t certain he could handle while still being in a position where his brothers would be comfortable with talking to him. Staying behind the group would ensure no one overheard their conversation when it came.

His grip on the strap of their pack grew white-knuckled as his mind drifted back to the night before. He hoped they would talk to him soon. The emotions still clung to his chest like tar despite his attempts to lock them away, and they weighed him down until he nearly dragged his feet behind himself. He couldn’t stop thinking about that monster. He should be over this by now; after spending hours consumed by his thoughts of the horrid thing, how was it that he still couldn’t let it go?

And, why couldn’t these feelings stay locked away where they belonged? He had done it dozens of times before, so why was this issue so difficult to deal with?

Blue shook his head, sighing in relief when the emotion clouding his mind pulled back slightly. He couldn’t lose himself like that, not when his brothers needed him. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought of his brothers, and he looked around to check in on them—they _had_ looked particularly ragged earlier, after all. But, when he saw them, his breath caught in his throat.

Red walked alongside Wind, gesturing excitedly to the Sailor without a trace of his earlier plight upon his now light-hearted features. He winced when his brother laughed, a stark contrast to the tears he had anticipated; the tears he had _seen_ the night before. Green and Vio walked with Twilight, each taking a side respectively. They appeared to be listening intently to some sort of tale Twilight was sharing. Blue noted the childish intrigue sparkling in their eyes when they turned their heads, their faces now smooth and relaxed where lines of stress had plagued them the night before.

His chest tightened at how none of his brothers seemed weighed down by the traumatising experience they had been through only yesterday. This wasn’t something they could simply move on from without talking it out, not with how all three of them had reacted last night. Their talk with Sky the night before, and then the rest of the group that morning, certainly wasn’t enough to lighten the burden—if it had been, then Blue would feel okay, too.

Had they… talked with the other Links?

Blue’s heart squeezed at the thought and he swallowed thickly, slowing his pace slightly to increase the distance between himself and the rest of the group.

They hadn’t talked with the others instead of him, right? He shook his head, dismissing the thought and the hurt that came along with it. They _always_ talked with him when something was upsetting them. His brothers weren’t used to having an audience when they were upset, that was all; they were putting on a brave face for the rest of the group and would talk to him later.

Besides, if they _had_ talked with the other Links, he would have noticed, right? That had to be the case, though he hated the thought of his brothers pushing aside their emotions for the others, even if he was doing the same for them. He had become accustomed to doing as such over the years; they wouldn’t be able to hold it together like he could—even _if_ the emotions slashed at the box he had trapped them in with more vigour than he had experienced before.

Blue hoped they would talk to him soon, for both their sakes and his own.

A shoulder bumped into his—or, more like an elbow dug into his shoulder—and Blue looked up curiously, only to scowl when he met Legend’s eyes.

“What do you want?” he asked, turning to his usual grouchy behaviour to hide the panic. Had Legend seen any hint of despair on his face? Blue wouldn’t forgive himself if he had given away his plight. His burdens weren’t meant to be shared, and he was more than fine with that.

Though, he wasn’t certain if his heart was, the thing feeling more worn down with every passing day. But that didn’t matter, not when he could bring the smiles back to his brothers' faces and leave them unburdened. He could be their rock and carry their burdens for them. That was why he was here.

Legend watched him for a long moment, and Blue feared he truly had seen through his disguise, but then the Veteran turned away, reaching into his bag.

“I haven’t shown Four my ring collection before. Want to see it?”

Blue raised an eyebrow. Why would he care about a simple ring collection? To see how Legend’s era welded jewels to gold _would_ be interesting though, as the man was in a future much further along the line than him. But he didn’t want to listen to Legend go on and on about how he had earned each bedazzled ring. It would ruin his focus, and he refused to listen to the man stroke his own ego.

“They’re magical,” Legend added, a knowing smile upon his lips.

Blue’s eyes widened with intrigue and Legend chuckled, only to apologise swiftly when he shot the man a scowl. The apology didn’t look sincere in the slightest, but Blue would take a distraction from his thoughts. His brothers could pull him aside if they needed to.

They would… right?

He hesitated, unsure.

“So, do you want to see my ice ring or my lava ring first?”

Blue frowned. “Ice ring?”

Legend grinned, withdrawing a cool-blue ring from his bag and placing it into Blue’s palm. Blue shivered as ice magic spread out over his hand—the ring took the phrase ‘cold to the touch’ a little _too_ seriously. He narrowed his eyes, picking the ring up between his thumb and forefinger to inspect it closely, shooting glances at the ground every so often lest he lose his footing and fall—he didn’t doubt Legend would laugh if he did. A thin layer of frost spread over his fingers and he winced as an old memory of ice encasing his entire body came to mind. Shuddering at the thought of being lost and _so cold_ without anyone by his side, Blue shook his head, relaxing as the memory faded back. Red had saved him, and he was _fine_ now.

As much as he wanted to pass the thing back and be done with it, Blue wanted to take a closer look—the blacksmith inside of him was too curious of the minute details to let an age-old memory hold him back. Tiny, white snowflakes had been carved into the band, their colour blending in with the ice-blue of the ring until held under the sun. There, they sparkled like the snow they had been created to imitate. Blue let out an appreciative whistle at the craftsmanship, though he couldn’t be certain if the ring had been created like this, or if magic had altered its appearance. Regardless, he couldn’t deny that it was _beautiful_.

“What does it do?” Blue asked, passing it back.

Legend took it carefully, slipping it back into his bag where it wouldn’t be lost—they would never recover it if he dropped it in Wild’s era. “Despite its appearance, it actually protects the wearer from the bitter cold.”

Blue frowned in confusion. He had assumed it would cool the wearer even under the burning sun of a desert. With the ice that had crawled up his wrist, he hadn’t anticipated anything else.

Legend dipped his head, a smirk upon his face as though he expected the confusion. “It wraps the user in a protective bubble of ice magic. So, while it _does_ leave the wearer cold, it won’t allow them to fall below a certain temperature.”

Blue hummed in thought. It was an odd use of ice magic, but if it worked, then who was he to judge?

“Also,” Legend began, waiting for his attention before continuing. “Because of the layer of ice magic surrounding the wearer, it can protect against attacks where the assailant uses ice magic. It’s saved my life dozens of times before.”

Blue perked up at that. Being encased in ice again had become a horrid fear of his—though he would deny it if anyone asked—after his own experience. To have something that would protect him from such an occurrence ever happening again...

A grin broke out on Blue’s face. He would need to locate one of those for himself next time they were in Legend’s era.

“Ah, I didn’t know you could smile!” Legend leaned closer as though in disbelief, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

The grin fell, a scowl taking its place as Blue glared up at the Veteran.

“Aw, no. I just mean you’ve looked down all day,” Legend said, straightening his back and sparing a cautious glance at the rest of the group while Blue frowned. “Like Warriors and I said before, one of us is always willing to listen.” He paused there, waiting for words Blue wasn’t willing to admit. After a moment, he cheekily added, “you can’t be a master of sarcasm if something is upsetting you, after all.”

Blue chuckled, but it sounded forced even to his own ears and tapered off within seconds. He couldn’t talk to Legend about this, not when his brothers still needed him to be strong for them.

If he still needed help after, _then_ he would talk to Legend or Warriors, he decided.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Legend pursed his lips, but nodded, accepting his words even if he didn’t believe them. His gaze drifted away, and silence fell upon them for a long moment, before Legend asked, “want to hear about the lava ring, now?”

*

“Blue!” Red cried out.

He looked up in time to see his brother racing towards him, arms stretched wide and mirth sparkling in his eyes. Red captured him in a tight embrace before Blue could think to prepare himself and he staggered back to prevent them both from falling over.

Rolling his eyes fondly, Blue returned the gesture with ease, waiting for his brother to pull away first as he always did—especially when he knew his brother wasn’t feeling well. Only talking this out would soothe his brother in the way he needed, but physical comfort _always_ took the edge off of what they were feeling, as though sanding down the sharp edges of pain into something bearable. Besides, being separate left _all_ of them a little clingy, unused to being without one another.

Red pulled away, beaming so brightly, Blue wondered if it hurt his face; he also wondered _how_ his brother could seem so cheerful under the stress.

Before he could think too much of it, Green and Vio joined the two of them, ruffling Red’s hair fondly and patting Blue’s shoulder with similar—though certainly not as face-splitting—grins.

Blue was quick to nudge them all forward so they wouldn’t be left behind. They walked in silence for a few minutes, as Blue waited for his brothers to speak. He wouldn’t force it out of them, not when that would only do more harm than it was worth.

The grass tapered off into slippery sand that left Blue grumbling haughtily to himself, and the ocean opened up to their left in all its glittery glory. Palm trees pushed through the sand at intervals, and seagulls rested in their rustling leaves, calling out to one another from their perches. After a long moment of watching the ocean sparkle along the horizon, Blue’s brothers finally spoke.

“I feel so much better now!” Red exclaimed, tearing Blue’s focus away from the soothing crash of the waves upon the sand. His brother threw his arms behind his head with a content smile, closing his eyes as the ocean breeze ruffled his hair.

Blue frowned, opening his mouth to ask _how_ Red could feel so unburdened—and if he found out his brother was lying to him, he would kick him—when Green hummed his assent. When he turned to his other two brothers, he saw similar serenity sparkling in their eyes, and not an ounce of the pain from earlier weighing down their shoulders. He turned back to Red, hoping to see _something_ still hurting his brother—he cringed at how awful that sounded, cursing his mind for such a thought.

“I know falling apart wasn’t great,” Red added, a slight crease in his brows the only sign of distress upon his face, before it was whisked away once more. “But, I really think it helped me, this time!”

Icy numbness poured into Blue’s gut at Red’s words, and he nodded slowly, wary of asking for more details, though he knew he couldn’t let his brother leave without hearing them.

“Really?” He winced at how strained his voice had become, but none of his brothers noticed, distracted by the towering rock that jutted out of the cliffside before them. It stretched out above them as the path forked, and Blue wondered _how_ such a thing could stay in position without crumbling to the earth. Thankfully, Wild led them up the path that avoided walking under the rock.

Red shook himself of his stupor, turning back to Blue and nodding. “Yeah! Being split helped me work out my own feelings after seeing that _monster_.” Red shuddered at the thought, before shaking his head as though to clear the reminder. “And,” he added, looking away nervously. “I talked a bit with Sky, and he helped a lot.”

Red’s words were like a punch to the gut, and Blue couldn’t help the frown that overtook his features momentarily. Again, his brothers missed it, distracted by Wild waving for them to hurry up before they became separated. So, Red _had_ spoken with another one of the Links, rather than him. The truth left his stomach rolling and his chest heavy, as though someone had left a boulder upon it—or perhaps _thrown_ one onto him, with the way Red’s words hit him.

Then Green and Vio nodded their agreement, murmuring about their talks with Wild and Twilight, and how much lighter they felt for it, and Blue found he had to push back tears, every nasty emotion he had locked away clawing at his chest with renewed vigour in an attempt to be released. Why had they talked it out with the others, rather than with him? They always went to him when something had upset them. _Always_. So why hadn’t they this time? Had they only sought him out before due to a lack of anyone else—they weren’t exactly open about their situation in their world. But, now they had other options— _better_ options, as Blue wasn’t exactly the best with words despite how hard he tried for them.

Was he not good enough for them? Did they not need him anymore? At the thought, he almost lost his battle with the tears still burning in his eyes. He shoved the emotions down with more force than before, and stale numbness washed over him. It didn’t matter, though. What did his own emotions matter if his brothers didn’t need him anymore?

Blue shook his head of the thoughts, forcing himself to focus in on the conversation before his brothers noticed anything was wrong. He wouldn’t burden them with this, even _if_ he lost himself to the pain. If they didn’t need him anymore, then who’s to say they wouldn’t cast him aside at any sign of distress from him? He could feign nonchalance until they fused, then he wouldn’t need to feel _anything_ anymore as Four took over.

Hylia, nothing sounded better than fusing, right now, if only to avoid the prison that was his own mind.

“Are you guys ready to fuse, then?” Blue asked, cursing himself when his voice came out devoid of emotion. His face fell when his brothers hesitated, sharing a look before shaking their heads simultaneously.

“I think I’m content to just be,” Vio admitted, eyes roaming the mountains now surrounding them on both sides. When had they gotten _here_? Had he been so lost in his own mind he missed the sand turning back to grass and dirt?

“It’s not often we’re granted such an opportunity,” Green agreed. “I want to talk to Hyrule, too.” He shot a look at the traveller. “He knows _a lot_ about survival.”

“So do I,” Vio said, raising a brow.

Green rolled his eyes. “I _know_ you do, but Hyrule has experience. Books do _not_ count as experience,” he added when Vio opened his mouth to counter him.

Red watched the two with mirth sparkling in his eyes. “I think I’m fine, too,” he added, looking back to Blue. “Green’s right. We never get to freely explore while separate, and I’m enjoying just being myself. We were together for _so long_ this time.” He shuddered at the thought, and Blue’s heart cracked just a little, though his brother didn’t notice, offering him a quick wave before racing ahead to latch onto Sky.

Blue looked down, Green and Vio’s dispute falling into the background as his chest _ached_ despite his attempts to numb to pain, to shove the hurt down until he felt nothing again. Did they _all_ find it more pleasant to be separated? Was it because they enjoyed the freedom or… did they just not enjoy being fused with _him_?

He swallowed thickly against the tears the thought brought. They were his _brothers_ , surely they liked being fused, right? But then, why else would they want to remain separate after so long apart—it had barely been a day, but it felt like an eternity to him, when they had been fused for months.

Had they realised how _exhausting_ it was to be fused with someone like him? Blue knew he wasn’t the gentlest person, his temper getting the best of him at times, but did they _hate_ that about him, especially when it shone through the fusion? Did they feel obligated to fuse with him because he was their brother? He could see their love for one another as clear as day, but the fusion wouldn’t work without the four of them—it would be unbalanced, that way. Perhaps, they wanted to remain split up to avoid being stuck with _him_ again.

The tears almost bubbled over, this time, but he blinked them away, taking in deep breaths to soothe the rampant emotions—why couldn’t he keep them locked away? When he looked up, he noticed he had fallen behind, his steps only comparable to those of the minish, though no one had noticed. He had to swallow thickly when his _brothers_ hadn’t noticed him lagging behind.

Blue shot a glance at his surroundings, fighting the urge to simply leave. He clearly wasn’t needed here. But, he couldn’t leave his brothers. They were all he had, even if they didn’t love him anymore—had they ever? He sniffled at the thought, shaking his head as though it would clear his mind—it helped, if only minutely.

Blue turned back to the path, nerves tumbling into his gut when he noticed Warriors had paused to wait for him while the rest of the group had disappeared farther down the trail. The man watched him thoughtfully, as though seeing through his act with ease. Blue hurried to catch up, if only to stop the man from coming to _him_.

“You alright?” Warriors asked as Blue caught up with him. He stepped in front of Blue when he tried to continue along the trail, blocking his path.

Burning hot anger flared up where numbing ice had once been and Blue narrowed his eyes, though he refused to take out his issues on the man. It wouldn’t be fair, to attack Warriors when he was only mad at himself and his own ineptitude, and he would never forgive himself for burning this bridge before it had even been built.

Though, he couldn’t stop his anger from seeping into his words as he said, “I’m fine.”

He knew he could have opened up to Warriors. The man was sincere in his concern, Blue knew that much, but the thought of sharing his pain left him shaking with anxiety. He had _never_ done so before, even with his brothers, even when he knew he _needed_ to. There was a reason he kept a journal, back at home. It housed the words he couldn’t speak, providing him with comfort when he felt as though he couldn’t seek it elsewhere. He didn’t have such a luxury now, though, and despite Warriors sincerity, and the lack of others around, despite the promise he had made to himself less than an hour ago to _talk_ to Warriors or Legend, Blue couldn’t confide in him.

Not only was he too much of a coward, but Warriors didn’t deserve the burden of his pain.

Warriors pursed his lips, but nodded, moving so he could pass, much to Blue’s relief. He wasn’t certain if he would have been able to control his anger if Warriors had chosen to demand the truth from him.

They walked together in silence as the trail crested, before it sloped downhill and the rest of the group entered Blue’s line of sight again. To his surprise, Warriors presence was more welcome than he had anticipated. While they hadn’t said another word to one another, simply not being alone served to soothe the turmoil within, at least to a certain degree.

Despite how he felt, Blue would be fine. He had to be, at least until they fused together again. Even _if_ his brothers didn’t want to fuse with _him_ , at least he wouldn’t need to feel when they were.

Just a little longer, and he would be fine.

*

Lurelin village was smaller than Blue had anticipated. He should have expected as much, considering how quaint Kakariko had been, but Lurelin town had less than a dozen homes, and barely twice the number of residents. It was beautiful, though, with sand paths fitted with wooden boards (Blue had a feeling those had been placed there for visitor’s ease) and lined with hibiscus bushes that perfumed the salty air sweetly. Palm trees were scattered about the village, and each house—or hut, now that Blue looked closer—seemed to be built around a couple of palm trees. The first few homes they passed were small, with only a single room each and thatched roofs that were tied to the palm trees in the centre.

“That’s the inn,” Wild said, drawing Blue’s attention from the hibiscus flowers that spread out over the bush closest to him, their vibrant red colours distracting. The building was different to the rest, built to imitate the body of a ship—likely to attract tourists, Blue thought sourly, though he couldn’t deny it looked interesting.

Wild led them towards the building, moving out of the way when a small group of children rushed by excitedly, chasing a coconut their leader was kicking. Blue huffed, crossing his arms and wincing when the children let out ear piercing screams. Normally, he wouldn’t mind, but Hylia, was he _tired_ , both physically and mentally.

Blue made a face upon entering the place. They only had four beds—six, if you included the two hammocks hanging high above the group. While the inn was only one room, the beds had been separated by curtains the length of Blue's arm and were tucked away in each corner for a little privacy—it was better than nothing. He _was_ grateful that they were the only ones staying that night, however. Trying to fit them all in would be difficult enough without strangers in their way.

Wild paid for their stay, waving off their concerns with a smirk that led Blue to believe the Champion had more money than the rest of them combined—not that it was difficult, with how broke they all were. He made a mental note to force them to pay more often.

Blue watched as the group began to file out, hesitating in the entryway, small as it was. The mere thought of heading back outside only served to make him more tired than he already was. Of course, he would love the spend time with his brothers, but… did they _really_ want to spend time with him?

“Hey, Blue!” He turned curiously, heart aching at the sight of his red-clad brother upon the steps, Green and Vio behind him. “We’re going shopping with Sky! Do you want to come?”

Red’s words sounded sincere, but Blue couldn’t help but feel as though they had been spoken out of an obligation—his brothers felt as though they had to spend time with him, but he wouldn’t force them to deal with his presence. Besides, he was _exhausted_ , and he wanted to be alone to deal with the turbulent emotions writhing within him. This way, they would all win.

Blue shook his head, gesturing with his thumb back into the inn. “Nah, I think I’m gonna take a nap.” Sleep sounded wonderful, right now. Not only would he feel more rested once he awoke, but he could hide from his feelings within the clouds of his dreams.

Red nodded understandingly, much to his relief. “Okay! We’ll be back later.”

Blue waved half-heartedly as his brothers raced off, likely to Sky’s side. His arm dropped back to his side as they disappeared from view, and the forced smile fell from his face with a sigh.

“Not even going to come gamble with us? Wild told us Lurelin has its own famous game.” Legend said, placing a hand on his shoulder to demand his attention.

Blue rolled his eyes, turning back to Legend, and Warriors too, he noted. Would the two of them leave him alone?

“Maybe later. I want to sleep, first.”

Legend took a moment to inspect his face, likely taking in the darkness lining his eyes. At least he didn't need to lie to them this time, as he _was_ tired and he knew they could see it too—no one looked good with two hours of sleep, and he was certain his emotional state wouldn’t be helping his appearance.

“We’ll be there for a few hours if you’re interested later, then,” Warriors said when Legend remained silent. He grabbed the Veteran by the arm, waving cheerfully to Blue as they left. The inn fell eerily silent in their wake, save for the flipping of pages by the innkeeper as she read, her desk situated in the middle of the inn.

Blue sighed heavily, heading over to one of the beds behind her where she wouldn't be able to see him. He didn’t relax until he knew he was out of her line of sight. Curling up on his side and facing away from her, he wrapped the blankets around himself tightly. The warmth and pressure comforted him slightly, and Blue drifted off into a light sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay with this one, but I hope you all enjoyed! We're over halfway, now. Don't forget to stay safe <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue can't keep it together.

Not even an hour later, a loud splash awoke him. Blue opened his eyes with a groan, looking around the dim inn with bleary eyes.

Wait… dim? He could have sworn the inn was much brighter when he had gone to sleep.

“Oh, you’re up!” He looked over to the innkeeper, who placed her book to the side, leaning around the wall behind her desk to offer him a warm smile. Light poured into the inn from the open doorway, stretching across the entryway to bathe her desk in a golden glow, but the back of the inn remained shrouded in darkness. Had she closed the blinds for him?

Blue found himself oddly touched by her kind display, regardless of how it was likely common practice for her.

“It’s a shame you woke up so soon; you looked exhausted,” she continued, shaking her head sadly.

Blue blinked in surprise of her caring nature. He hadn’t had an innkeeper _worry_ over him before, not to this degree—most were more interested in his money. Had he looked _that_ terrible?

The floor swayed as he stood, and Blue took a moment to wait out the wave of light-headedness that came with moving too quickly. Now that he was awake, he doubted he would be able to drift off again. His earlier fatigue had vanished with his quick nap, and there was no point lying here all day.

The innkeeper paused him before he could leave, however.

She held out a cloth-wrapped item the size of his palm, the top tied off with frayed twine. When he took it quizzically, she only smiled warmly at him again. “You still look quite _tired_ hon, so I’m hoping this will help a bit.” She said ‘tired’ a little too understandingly, as though she knew he wasn’t only physically exhausted. “Take care of yourself.”

Blue’s heart warmed at her kind words, and he lowered his head as pink dusted his cheeks. “Thank you,” he murmured, leaving the inn swiftly before she could ask any questions, as unlikely as such a thing might be—he had a feeling if she asked, he wouldn’t be able to hold back the words he had tried so desperately to lock up.

Heat wrapped around him like a blanket the moment he stepped outside, and blinding light left streaks upon his vision. With a huff, Blue raised a hand to cover his eyes, grip tightening on the package the innkeeper had given him as he searched for the rest of his group.

To his left, he could make out Twilight walking away from him, holding two bags _bursting_ with items in both hands. A woman walked alongside him, likely the owner of the bags—Twilight couldn’t go two minutes without helping someone. The woman turned to Twilight, asking something of him only for the rancher to wave her off quickly, rubbing the back of his neck in a way that left Blue feeling as though she’d just invited him to stay for dinner. Past him, Blue could make out the faint outlines of Time and Wild sitting by a fire, an elderly man listening in as Wild told him of their situation, gesticulating widely.

Not that way, then.

To his right came boisterous laughter and Blue turned towards another house, this one also shaped like a boat, similar to the inn. Squinting, he searched the entryway, catching the tell-tale blue of Warriors’ scarf momentarily. Warriors and Legend _had_ offered him a game, but he had no doubt they would try get him to open up again, and the mere thought of trying to keep up a façade for _hours_ only served to drain what little energy he had recovered during his nap. He dismissed the idea as quick as it came.

The empty path to his right opened out onto the beach, and Blue scanned the area in search of someplace he could sit alone. Two docks lay on this side of the inn, the first reaching far out to the sea, dozens of different ships and stalls spread out along the boards. His breath caught in his throat when he saw his brothers moving about on the dock, but they didn’t notice him, too distracted by the ship Sky was leading them into, much to his relief. If keeping up a front for Legend and Warriors would be tiring, then trying to act normal before his brothers would be downright _exhausting_. The second dock only stretched out a few metres, likely a place for kids to jump into the ocean without worrying their parents—no currents would take them away so close to the shore.

Past the docks, he could see Wind and Hyrule on a raft, though the latter clutched the mast as though his life depended on it—with the way Wind wielded the korok leaf, Blue couldn’t blame him.

Shaking his head, Blue turned away from the beach, following the path up a grassy hill. Blue crested the hill, eyes widening when he saw a pond at the end of the trail. Fences surrounded the water, but the entrance directly at the end of the path remained open, two torches resting on either side and blowing lazily in the wind. A wooden platform had been built over the smooth surface of the pond, and Blue was quick to settle down at the edge of it, crossing his legs. The pond lay immediately after a slight dip in the trail, meaning anyone below the hill wouldn’t be able to see him, especially now that he was seated.

Which meant he would be undisturbed.

Blue placed the package to the side so he could tear off his boots, eager for some respite from the stifling heat—while the sun couldn’t reach him, blocked out by the mountains surrounding the beach-side village, its warmth still left him sweaty and uncomfortable. He dipped his feet into the pond as soon as they were free and his pants had been rolled up, sighing in relief when the cool water soothed him instantly.

Another sigh fell from his lips, though this one felt as though it had been torn from his soul, taking fragments with it. He kicked his legs in the water, refusing to let his mind drift like the clouds above him. Earlier, he had let his guard down as his thoughts took a nasty plunge, and Warriors had caught him. He couldn’t be so obvious again, even _if_ he was certain he wouldn’t be disturbed here.

Shaking away the memory as his cheeks began to blaze in shame, Blue turned to the item the innkeeper had given him curiously. Picking it up with care, he undid the twine that kept the cloth secure, holding on tightly when it fell away. As the item was revealed, Blue stared unblinkingly at it. She had given him… a banana muffin?

The innkeeper couldn’t have malicious intent, he knew that much. If she had, she could have simply taken his life while he slept and his group was distracted, but she had only lowered the blinds for him.

His stomach rumbled, a reminder that he had yet to eat lunch. Blue knew he wouldn’t be seeking out Wild for food, however. Not until much later in the day, when it was time for dinner. He couldn’t stand the thought of seeing anyone right now, not with how cold and numb his chest felt.

Blue shook his head, as though shaking away the thoughts with the movement—any longer and they could stray a little too far for his liking, reminding him of _why_ he felt so awful in the first place. He focused his attention on what little food he now had. Blue took a bite, only for his breath to hitch at how _warm_ it still was. The cloth had prevented him from feeling it, but the inside of the muffin hadn’t lost its heat yet, as though it had been freshly prepared…

Had the innkeeper made it _just_ for him, on the off-chance it would make him feel better?

Blue would deny the few tears that rolled down his cheeks at the realisation.

*

When the sky turned navy and stars began to faintly twinkle above him, Blue finally left the serenity of the pond. If he stayed out much longer, the others would come searching for him, and he had grown attached to this pond, unwilling to share it when it had brought him so much comfort. With how rowdy his group could be, he was certain they would destroy the serenity of the place in an instant.

After quickly washing his face with the clear water, Blue moved back down the hill to join the others. Numbness had returned to his chest once the shock of the innkeeper’s kindness had worn off, and he had stared vacantly at the pond for hours until an icy breeze had brought him back to reality. Blue didn’t see anyone from his group until he made it closer to the inn, the others having settled alongside it, where lanterns had been lit and wooden benches had been laid out around a hearty fire.

“Blue!” Red shouted as soon as they made eye-contact, jumping up from his place at the door. His brother raced forward and into his arms, clutching him tightly and... shivering?

“I’m cold,” Red whined, burying his face in Blue’s shoulder as though to protect himself from the cool breeze.

Blue returned the gesture with just as much vigour, missing the warm embraces from his brothers despite how little he deserved them—the thought made him wince, but Red didn’t notice, still mumbling about how cold it had gotten.

“You’ll be warmer closer to the fire, silly,” Blue said, determined to act as he usually would despite his voice lacking emotion. He was just too _tired_ to put his usual fire into his words.

Red huffed, pulling away with a pout. “If you don’t want my hugs, I’ll go bother Green.” And he moved back before Blue could argue, dropping down beside Green and leaning into his side with ease.

Despite the teasing tone to Red’s words, Blue’s heart still ached, and he shivered in the absence of his brother’s warmth. Taking in a deep breath to steel himself, Blue joined his brothers at the fire, avoiding Legend and Warrior’s eyes when they looked to him quizzically. He sat down by Vio’s side, offering his brother a strained smile which was returned with vigour. How Vio hadn’t noticed the strain, Blue would never know—perhaps he didn’t care enough to. The thought made him wince, and Blue cursed himself for allowing the thoughts to seep past the walls he had blocked them in with. Why had he spent all that time by the pond if not to fortify his defences? He resisted the urge to huff, shifting on the log as he waited impatiently for Wild to finish cooking dinner, wishing the Champion would hurry so he could be alone again. Or at least, alone with his thoughts while the others slept. He had too much to unpack to bother trying to sleep. Perhaps, he could sneak off in the night and go back to the pond. He was certain it would be more than eager to welcome him back, and its cool water did well to wash away tears. There, he would have _hours_ to sift through what he was feeling and build up his walls again.

“Oh, we should fuse before dinner!” Red said, tearing Blue away from his thoughts.

Blue blinked in surprise, not having anticipated his brothers to _want_ to fuse yet. Panic tumbled into his chest and his shoulders tensed, rising of their own volition. He wasn’t _ready_ to fuse, not when he still had so many nasty feelings to sort through… but then, he wouldn’t _need_ to deal with them, once they had fused. As Four, they rarely felt their own emotions, rather what their fusion himself felt. Blue wouldn’t need to worry about feeling _awful_ anymore, if they fused again.

For the first time in hours, a sincere smile tugged at his lips.

“You want to fuse now?” Green asked, pushing his brother back and away from his side so he could study his face, checking if he was honest in his exclamation. Blue certainly hoped so.

Red nodded excitedly. “Yeah! Wild’s making their famous seafood paella, so if we fuse now, we can get seconds!”

Bright, bubbly laughter burst past the walls and Blue couldn’t help but snort alongside his brothers at Red’s words. Of course, Red wanted to fuse so they could eat more. He should have guessed as much.

Red huffed petulantly, crossing his arms and looking away with a pout that only made them all laugh harder.

“Well,” Vio said once their laughter had died down, though Red still seemed haughty. “It has been a while since we initially separated, and I can’t say no to extra food.”

Green rolled his eyes. “Hylia, you’re both such _children_.”

Blue snorted again, while both Red and Vio gasped, affronted at Green’s words—words which quickly earned him two playful smacks.

“Anyway,” Green said, rubbing his shoulder where Vio had delivered his less-than-gentle smack. “We should fuse now, since it looks like Wild’s almost done.”

True to his words, the Champion had pulled out a dozen bowls and begun dishing out dinner.

They all nodded, shifting closer so that they could hold hands. Blue only hesitated a second, uncertain when a fleeting thought flickered across his mind of how his brothers would be forced to deal with being fused with _him_ again. He pushed it away, determined to focus on the fusion so he could stop feeling this way.

Only a little longer, and he would be fine again.

He took Green and Vio’s hands, grateful Red had sat so far away when his earlier words flashed across his mind, the hurt panging in his chest again when he looked over at his brother despite Red having been joking. Hylia, he couldn’t _wait_ to not feel this way any longer.

Green squeezed his hand, drawing him back to the present. He offered his brother a nod, forcing his attention back to the fusion. A white light took over their forms, drawing the attention of the rest of the group. They watched with intrigue as the four of them melded into light, multicoloured souls merging together to form one that took on the appearance of Four’s patchwork tunic, their colours melding together.

And finally, after a day apart, Four stood in their place, arms wrapped around his middle as though to embrace himself, a warm smile gracing his lips.

The rest of the group cheered abruptly, an uproar filling the air and leaving Four’s cheeks blazing, though the grin still remained on his face.

“Thanks, guys,” he said, kaleidoscope eyes roaming across each of them appreciatively. “I don’t think I would have been able to do it without—” Four stopped short, the smile dropping from his face and his eyes widening as _something_ pressed against his chest, leaving his heart aching.

“Four?” Time said, pulling himself to his feet warily.

Four didn’t respond, a sickening sensation tumbling into his gut as he realised _where_ the feeling had come from. Or whom.

“Blue?” he said softly, raising a hand to his mouth as three of his pieces wished to do, tears blurring his vision.

And then he fell apart with a blinding flash of light.

*

Blue tore along the sand, yellow turned silver as the moon rose—not that he could see it well, with the tears that blurred his vision. He glanced up the hill that led to the pond as he passed, but the idea was dismissed immediately. It was too close to the others, and he needed somewhere to _hide_. The beach only spread out farther before him, and he hoped it would lead him somewhere where the others wouldn’t find him—if they planned on searching for him at all, that was.

Blue hadn’t meant for this to happen; he hadn’t meant for his brothers to learn of how he felt. Why had he been so _weak_ , unable to keep the unwanted feelings from bubbling over? Why had he believed for a second that he was strong enough to keep it together?

Within seconds of being fused together, his brothers had noticed something was amiss. With the amount of _love_ and _warmth_ pouring in from each of them, how could they not notice the icy misery radiating from his corner? Blue had pulled away before his _thoughts_ could drift across to them too, but he hadn’t been fast enough to stop them from feeling _his_ feelings, as loud as they were. Now, they knew of every ounce of self-loathing he held for himself—self-loathing that hadn’t been there before they had initially fallen apart. They knew how _scared_ he felt, just as they had before the other Links chipped it away from their souls and helped them heal. And, they knew he felt unwanted among them—Hylia, how he hoped they wouldn’t realise that he _knew_ they thought of him as an obligation, lest they begin treating him as such, keeping their kindness only for one another.

So, Blue had torn himself away from the fusion before they could fall apart, meaning he was the only one left standing in the aftermath, his brothers falling to the ground again. With the bright light that accompanied their splitting, the other Links were blinded. Blue had raced off before any of them could recover without a moment’s hesitation.

Why had he even agreed to fuse in the first place? He should have known better than to do so while he had felt _that_ awful—though that pain seemed miniscule in comparison to what he felt now. If only he had told his brothers he wanted to wait until morning. That way, they never would have found out how he truly felt.

But now they _knew_. His brothers knew how weak he truly was, that their strong and sturdy rock had begun to crumble, and they would never want to rely on him again. Not that they seemed to want to anymore, since they had chosen the others over him.

His breath hitched at the thought and he swiped at his eyes as more tears left burning trails down his cheeks. When more came regardless of how he tried to push them away, Blue gave up, his arm falling back to his side. What was the point in trying to stifle them now, anyway? No one was nearby, and he doubted anyone would try to follow him, since he had _ruined_ their fusion like that.

Hylia, his brothers had to be furious with him for making them fall apart _again_. Would they shout at him when he returned? The thought made his stomach twist and left more tears burning in his eyes, but he couldn’t up and leave—the Goddess wouldn’t allow it. Besides, he had no one else; his brothers were all he had left, right now, even if they didn’t want him.

Blue stumbled when the sand shifted beneath his feet, barely catching himself before he fell face-first into the ground. He growled, kicking at the sand as flames erupted within him, though most were directed towards himself. With a huff, Blue took a moment to take in his surroundings. To the right, the beach spread out before him, stretching out into a sand spit that would leave him _far_ away from the others—but it was out in the open. The path forward was blocked off on the left by rocks that rose to easily thrice his height, and Blue wasn’t confident he could scale them in his current state; but, it would provide more cover than the other path would, and Blue refused to sit out in the open for all to see as he crumbled.

Blue nodded to himself, taking off and following the still-blurry grey of the rocks beside him. While he was certain no one would follow him, there was still a chance of being spotted by a _stranger,_ as unlikely as it was. With Blue’s luck, he wouldn’t be surprised if such an occurrence happened.

Blue stumbled _again_ as something caught his leg, sharp pain tearing through his right ankle before he crashed to the ground unceremoniously. He jumped to his feet despite how his ankle _burned_ , knowing better to stay down when _something_ had tripped him.

Swiping at his eyes, he squinted at the blurry green figure before him—a lizalfos. He reached down for his sword, but the monster was one step ahead of him. It leapt at him before he could even blink, and Blue only had enough time to stagger backwards and raise his hands to protect his chest. White-hot pain cracked across his palms like a whip, and Blue hissed, taking another step backwards to put distance between them. The pain lanced up his wrists, but he _needed_ his sword, lest the monster’s weapon—a spear—did more damage than the gashes across his palms. 

Steeling himself, Blue grabbed the hilt of his sword, grimacing as lighting spread from his left hand, but still he held it. He narrowed teary eyes at the lizalfos, growling when the thing didn’t appear scared of him in the slightest, though he must look like a pathetic sight, currently. Tightening his grip on the sword and ignoring how the hilt had become slick with his blood, Blue darted forward without hesitation, slashing open the lizalfos’ throat before it could think to dodge. A choked gurgle fell from the lizalfos’ mouth, and it raised a hand to the cut as dark blood began to dribble down from it. It staggered back, tipping over and disintegrating into a heap of black dust as it met the ground.

With a scoff, Blue stuffed away his sword, grimacing as his left palm burned in complaint. Disregarding the wounds, he turned back to face his initial path, not making it a single step before lightning sparked up his right ankle and his knees buckled in response. He thanked Hylia he had the conscience to turn and land on his side, lest the gashes in his palms end up with gritty sand in them. The last thing he needed on top of all his wounds was an infection—it would only make him _more_ of a burden.

His breath hitched at the thought, more tears bubbling over as the _despair_ returned, any lingering adrenaline from the fight fading, leaving nothing to distract him from how he had let his brothers down. He _needed_ to find someplace to hide. Now.

Blue hauled himself to his feet, gritting his teeth when every step on his wounded ankle left him stumbling in pain. The sand only made his slow journey more arduous, and his palms wept onto the sand beneath him, staining the dunes red as though to mock him for allowing himself to become injured on top of all this. Not only would his brothers have to deal with his ineptitude, now, they would need to deal with his wounds, too. That was, if they were willing to accept him when he came back…

Blue had to resist the urge to wrap his arms around himself, knowing better than to stain his tunic red—the urge was immense, when he felt as though his soul was shattering into fragmented pieces of itself as it had done all those years ago.

He shook his head to stifle the urge, looking up through blurry eyes. The ocean lay before him in all its glittery glory, appearing like liquid silver under the moon. Rocks jutted out of the sand along the shore, stretching out towards the moon that rested low on the water. It would have to do.

Blue moved between two of the rocks that lined the shore, sighing in relief when he saw the sandy space in front of them, free from the lapping waves. Before he could sit, he needed to wash away the blood…

It wasn’t the best solution, but Blue still dipped his hands into the salty water, hissing as pain flared up his arms. When he pulled his palms back, they were free from the blood that had coated them. He shuffled back, dropping down against the rock despite how uncomfortable it was. He curled up into a ball, wrapping his arms over his knees and burying his face in them as reality settled in. Why would his brothers want such a useless, broken thing? Not even Legend or Warriors would want him now, not when they knew how _weak_ he truly was. He couldn’t do his one job; he couldn’t stay strong for them.

What good was a rock when it crumbled?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one _hurt_ to write, but I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading and don’t forget to stay safe <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time talks with Blue.

Time blinked away the stars that blinded his vision, Four’s fusion having fallen apart in a flash of bright, white light that left them all yelling in surprise. When they had finally receded, he could only see three of the Colours lying on the ground, groaning at having been thrown to the side.

Narrowing his one good eye, Time searched for the missing piece of Four, but couldn’t see him among the rest of the Links, who were still trying to shake off the spots in their vision. Concern pooled in his gut as he looked around once more, still seeing no sign of Blue. His lips thinned, but he turned back to the pieces of Four that were still around in hopes of an explanation. Time helped Vio to his feet, chastising him when he rubbed at a slight bump on his head.

“What happened?” he asked as he lowered Vio onto one of the wooden benches, Twilight and Wild doing the same with Green and Red.

Green frowned in confusion, as though the split had left him disorientated. Vio lowered his gaze, brows furrowed as he thought.

Red jumped up, however, looking around with wide eyes. “Where’s Blue?”

His words seemed to bring light to his other brothers, as both Green and Vio inhaled sharply, their heads whipping around in search of their final piece.

Time pursed his lips. “I don’t know, but you _need_ to calm down and tell us what happened.”

Red shook his head. “I need to find him, he—” His words were cut off when a sob tore from his throat and his face crumbled.

Wind gasped, sitting down by Red’s side in an instant and pulling him into his arms. Red latched onto Wind instantly, his crying muffled when he pushed his face into the Sailor’s shoulder, though he still shook like a leaf.

Time hummed worriedly. “You can’t go looking for him like this. You _need_ to tell me what happened; we had Four back, but then…” he trailed off, hoping one of them would fill him in.

When he looked to Vio, the Colour wouldn’t meet his eye, lowering his head to hide his face in a way that left Time wondering if Red wasn’t the only one in tears. He turned to the last brother, hoping he would be able to get _something_ from him. To his relief, Green seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, managing to keep it together even if his eyes were glistening.

“We _were_ fine,” Green said softly, drawing a knee to his chest and resting his head over it. “But when we fuse, if we feel something overwhelming, it spreads across to each of us. At first, all I felt was the happiness radiating from those two.” He nodded towards Vio and Red across the fire from him, before slumping. “Then, _Blue’s_ feelings came across, and he…” Green shook his head, burying his face in his knee to hide his tears. “How did we miss this?” he croaked, voice muffled.

Time’s brow creased in concern, but he patted Green on the shoulder gratefully, regardless of how little he had shared. It was enough for him to go off of. Blue hadn’t looked all that well today, though Time couldn’t be certain if he always appeared as such and had let him be. He had known Legend and Warriors had been pestering him a lot, and hoped if he _was_ feeling upset, they would get through to him.

It seemed as though they hadn’t been able to. Which meant he would have to step in and force the Colour to talk; Blue had had more than enough time to open up over the day, he knew that much. If it was bad enough to cause Four to fall apart _again_ , then Time wouldn’t leave it be until he had fixed this.

He couldn’t send the other Colours, not with how they had fallen apart—they would only stress Blue out if they found him like _this_. Blue needed someone level-headed, right now, and Time could be that person for him.

Sharing a meaningful look with Twilight, Time stood, reaching for his bag and sword on the off-chance any monsters appeared. “I’ll go look for him.”

The Colours’ heads whipped up, and Time raised a hand before they could object. “Blue needs someone who can keep it together, right now. I’ll bring him back, don’t worry.”

After a moment’s hesitation, they nodded simultaneously. Concern still lingered in their eyes, but Time knew it wouldn’t leave until he returned their brother to them in one piece.

“You’ll bring him back to us?” Red asked softly, looking up with teary eyes. Time found himself grateful that he had managed to stop crying, if only for Blue’s sake later.

Time dipped his head in assent. “I’ll talk to him, then bring him back. Don’t worry,” he added, reaching out to ruffle Red’s hair, smiling at the laugh it elicited, weak as it was, “he’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Red nodded, offering him an appreciative smile that was mirrored by his two brothers.

Time turned back to the rest of the group, who appeared equally as worried. “You lot should head inside and finish eating there,” he said, glancing out at the beach, where he suspected Blue had gone. “He won’t want an audience when he returns, and it’s getting late.” He narrowed his eye before anyone could object, waiting while group filed inside, Wind and Sky ushering the Colours in too.

Once they were gone, Time set about scanning the sand. As he suspected, fresh footprints led towards his right, where the beach opened up.

Readjusting his pack on his shoulder, Time headed off towards the beach, grateful for the full moon that lit up the sand, turning yellow into silver and highlighting the footprints for him. The trail forked at one point, but Blue continued down the beach, rather than taking the mountain path, much to Time’s relief—it would be kinder to his knees.

The footprints stuck close to the rock wall of the mountain directly to his left, rather than moving out onto the beach, not that Time was surprised. Blue had likely been searching for a place to hide, and the open beach wouldn’t grant him such a thing.

Time narrowed his eye when he saw something glinting in the moonlight. Kneeling down beside it, he inspected the tip of the spear, tainted with glistening blood. He glanced around warily, but no monster lay in sight. Blue had to have disposed of it, then, but not before it had injured him.

Had the boy not suffered enough? To add injury on top of what he was already feeling was cruel, and Time shot a quick glare to the sky before he continued, now following the droplets of blood staining the sand. He was grateful he had had half a mind to bring his pack with him, as the amount of blood told him Blue’s wound wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

Ahead, rocks jutted out of the sand towards the ocean, limned by the full moon above. Waves crashed against the ones situated deeper in the ocean, sending water high into the sky, before it settled once more. No other sound filled the air, leaving him uneasy. Given how _horrid_ his brothers had felt, Time had expected to hear crying by now. A part of him wondered if Blue had moved elsewhere, but the trail of blood continued forward, towards the rocks where Time had no doubt Blue had hidden.

Time took a moment to check he had bandages and cream in his bag, nodding to himself once he had located them and moved them to the top for easier access. The group was low on potions as it was, and if the wound wasn’t life threatening, then he wouldn’t use one.

With one final deep breath to steel himself, Time continued along the final few metres of the trail, placing a hand on one of the jutting rocks to steady himself when the sand dipped into a small slope. The droplets took a sharp turn, and when Time peeked around the edge of the rock, he finally saw Blue.

The final piece of Four looked... rough, to put it lightly. He had curled up with his back pressed against the rock, as though he had tried to push himself back into it. His arms were wrapped around his knees and his head rested over them as he stared vacantly at the ocean with red eyes. The moonlight illuminated the faint tear tracks on his cheeks, but Time couldn’t make out any fresh tears glistening in his eyes—he wasn’t certain whether he was grateful for that fact, worried Blue may have shut down entirely.

Blue had yet to notice him despite how alert Four always was, which only served to make Time more concerned. Biting his lip to release some of the worried energy, Time sat down by Blue’s side. He left a small gap between the two of them, wary of overwhelming Blue when he was upset.

After a long moment passed with Blue no more aware of his presence, Time cleared his throat. Blue jumped, smacking his skull on the rock behind him and groaning. Time winced apologetically, but Blue seemed to forget the pain as soon as their eyes met, his face paling more than it already was. Under the light of the moon, he appeared translucent.

Blue turned away quickly, but Time still caught sight of how his cheeks burned in shame as he rubbed away the tears staining them. “What do you want?” he rasped, making a face at the sound of his own voice.

“First,” Time began, pausing in hopes of Blue turning back to him. When he didn’t, Time continued with a frown, “I want to patch up whatever wound you have.”

At that, Blue whipped around in surprise. “What?”

“You left blood on your trail, now fess up,” Time said, raising an eyebrow when Blue opened his mouth, likely to share a snarky reply. With a heavy sigh that sounded a little _too_ exaggerated for Time’s liking, he was presented with two bloody palms.

He winced at the still-weeping gashes, taking Blue’s left hand to inspect it more closely as he thought back to the bloody spear that had been left behind. A decent picture of what had occurred flashed across his mind, but he dismissed it for now. It didn’t matter how Blue had received the wounds, only that they were taken care of as soon as possible.

Time set Blue’s hand facing palm up on his knee, bringing out the bandages and cream along with his canteen. He washed away the blood quickly, murmuring an apology when Blue whimpered in pain, before making quick work of applying cream and wrapping the bandages. They had bigger things to deal with, and he couldn't afford to waste time with this.

“So,” Time began as he tied off the second bandage, letting the hand go once he was done so Blue could pull both back to his chest protectively. “What’s going on?”

Blue flinched, turning away from Time and wrapping his arms around himself. “Nothing.”

Annoyance flickered to life within his chest, but he put it out before it could grow. Snapping at Blue now would only make things worse, and he wanted him to open up, not close himself off. Instead, he shifted closer, placing a hand over Blue’s shoulder comfortingly, smiling when the other didn’t try and tear himself away from the touch.

“Blue,” he said, waiting patiently for the boy to turn back to him. Once he was certain he had Blue’s attention, he continued. “I need you to know that you can tell me _anything_ , and I promise I won’t judge you. I’m here because I care about you and want you to feel okay, alright? So, don’t feel as though you can’t talk to me.”

Instantly, more tears welled up in Blue’s eyes and he looked down. “I…”

When Blue trailed off, his breath hitching, Time pursed his lips, raising an arm invitingly. Blue moved to his side with only a second’s hesitation, as though losing an internal battle and _finally_ allowing himself the comfort he needed. Time was quick to wrap both of his arms around him, rubbing Blue’s back soothingly as he shook.

When Blue finally settled down, Time released him, knowing better to keep him trapped—he wanted him comfortable. Blue shifted away, pulling a knee to his chest to rest on. Time smiled at how similar the movement was to his brother’s.

“Talk to me,” Time said softly, offering Blue a warm smile when he looked up. He waited patiently while Blue thought it over, watching the waves crash into the rocks.

“I… I don’t know _how_ ,” Blue admitted, and when Time turned back to him, he saw his cheeks had turned the shade of pale pink roses under the moonlight.

Time’s heart dropped, his breath catching in his throat at Blue’s words. Had he never confided in anyone before? How had he dealt with any issues he had had in the past? His heart ached at the thought of Blue pushing it all away and suffering on his own for so long. But, he wouldn’t allow him to push _this_ away, not now that he knew and he could help.

“That’s okay,” Time reassured him, offering a warm smile when Blue looked up worriedly. “I can help you.”

At his words, Blue slumped in relief, nodding his assent. Now, where to begin? Green hadn’t given him much to go off of, but…

“What happened back there?” he asked, deciding it would be as good a place to start as any.

Blue made a face, biting his lip nervously as he watched the waves. “I couldn’t keep it together,” he said softly, grimacing and raising a hand to his throat.

Time’s lips thinned, and he was quick to pass over his canteen from where it lay beside him. He hadn’t a clue how long Blue had cried before he had arrived, but with the _second_ breakdown he had had, Blue would be dehydrated—not to mention, he had yet to eat dinner. Blue had to feel _awful_.

When he had finished drinking and no more words left his lips, Time hummed thoughtfully. “Okay. What are you feeling now, then?” It wouldn’t lead him to the root of what was hurting Blue, but hopefully, it would give him something.

Blue took a moment to think it over, taking another sip from the canteen before passing it back to Time. “Tired,” he began, squeezing his knee tightly before he continued. “And sad, I guess.”

Time nodded sympathetically, even if Blue was stating the obvious—happy people didn’t break down like that. But it was a start, and he could work with this.

“Why do you feel sad?” he asked.

Blue tensed, fidgeting with his sleeve until Time placed a hand over his to still the anxious movement, wary of him aggravating his injury. He smiled reassuringly when Blue looked up at him, hoping it would be enough to convince him that he could open up.

When Blue nodded in understanding, Time felt a little bit of the concern fall from his shoulders, even if he didn’t yet know the problem. Blue was trusting him.

“I just… I don’t know if my brothers really care about me,” Blue admitted, burying his face in his knee again shamefully.

Time’s stomach twisted painfully, brows furrowing in concern. Blue felt as though his brothers, the other pieces of himself that had _fallen apart_ over his being upset less than an hour ago, didn’t care about him. What had happened to make him feel this way?

“And,” Blue continued, his voice slightly muffled, though he didn’t move to make it clearer. “I know they only put up with me because they can’t fuse without me, even if they hate being fused with someone like _me_. They only keep me around because they love being Four,” he admitted glumly, before he paused, leaning back with wide eyes. He raised a hand to run through his hair, his face troubled. “Hylia, they’re probably so mad at me for ruining the fusion, I…” He shook his head as more tears bubbled over, burying his face in his knee again.

Time watched him in shock, his one good eye open wide. Blue thought they were _mad_ at him? The thought left his heart splintering, and his chest ached deeply. How could he think of himself as some kind of obligation to his brothers? Could he not see the love for him shining within their eyes as Time could?

“Blue…” How could he respond to that? He wasn’t sure what he had expected to be ailing the Colour, but it certainly hadn’t been _this_.

Blue winced, much to Time’s dismay. “Sorry. It’s stupid, I know,” he mumbled, tightening his hold on his knee.

Time shook his head quickly. “It’s not stupid,” he said. “You can’t help how you feel, but,” he waited until Blue turned back to him curiously, wincing when he saw the tears that had spilled over, “I can _assure_ you that your brothers don’t feel that way.”

Blue frowned, as though he hadn’t expected the words. Had he thought Time would agree with him?

“How can you know that?” Blue asked, reaching up to wipe his face with his sleeve.

Time watched him for a moment, praying Blue would laugh and say he had been joking. As he had anticipated, Blue only watched him curiously.

A heavy sigh fell from his lips. “Blue, your brothers _love_ you.”

Blue’s breath hitched at his words, but then he shook his head dismissively.

Time continued before he could refute his words. “They _do_ , I can see it in what they do. You should have seen them after Four fell apart: they were a _mess_.”

Blue blinked in surprise. “Really?”

Time nodded his assent. “They’re so worried about you. And, I think they blame themselves for not noticing that you were hurting.”

Blue’s eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. “It’s not their fault! I hid this from them, they couldn’t have known,” he said glumly, slumping once more.

Time pursed his lips as he watched the other. “You’ll have to tell them that yourself, then.”

Blue tensed at his words, biting his lip harshly. “Are they… still awake?”

“Of course, they are,” Time said. “Everyone is, I believe.”

Blue buried his face in his hands. “I’m such an idiot.”

Time shook his head, placing a hand over Blue’s shoulder reassuringly. “It’s okay.”

But Blue only huffed, glaring out at the ocean. “I should be stronger than this.”

Time frowned. “What do you mean?”

Blue paused, as though he hadn’t meant to share the words. After a moment of debating, Blue sighed in resignation. “Each of us have our own job as pieces of Link, and I’m meant to be the strong part, the one who can hold it together so my brothers can always rely on me when they need it.” He scoffed, shaking his head. “Turns out I’m just _weak_.”

Time narrowed his eye at Blue. “You can’t expect to be strong all the time.”

“But I’m _meant_ to be,” Blue countered, crossing his arms.

“ _No one_ can stay strong forever. It doesn’t work out, trust me, I know.”

Blue paused, any irritation falling from his face, replaced with curiosity. “You...?” he trailed off, waiting for Time to confirm his unspoken question.

“I used to feel the same way, yes.” Time nodded. “You feel as though you have to be their rock, correct?”

Blue said nothing, but his silence was more than telling.

“You push aside your own problems to try and shoulder their burdens, but it won’t work. You’ll only end up crumbling that way, as you did today.”

Blue looked away, nodding shamefully. Time pursed his lips, his intention only to make Blue feel less alone and more understood, not ashamed.

“If I can’t be strong for them,” Blue began softly. Concern tumbled into Time’s stomach at how _quiet_ the other had become. “Then what am I to them?”

A smile graced Time’s lips, and he shifted closer to wrap an arm around Blue’s shoulders again. “You’re their brother, Blue.”

Silence fell upon them, but Time felt the shuddering breaths Blue took after his words, as though taking the time to compose himself.

“Okay,” Blue agreed, finally. Time squeezed him once more, before letting go and standing, his shoulders lighter now that he knew Blue felt a little better. He wouldn’t feel normal again until he spoke with his brothers, but Time knew he had begun the process. With a talk and some time, Blue would be okay again.

“Shall we head back?” Time asked, casting a glance back in the direction he had come from. He had been gone for a while, now, and the others would be more than concerned. The thought of the other Colours waiting for their brother’s return only left his heart aching, so he pushed it aside. Hopefully, they had eaten while he had been gone.

Blue hesitated, before nodding. “Guess I can’t delay this forever, can I?” He chuckled, only to stop when he met Time’s unimpressed gaze. “Sorry.”

Time sighed, reaching down to offer Blue his hand. “You’re okay. I wouldn’t recommend joking around your brothers, however.”

Blue made a face at the thought, nodding before he took Time’s hand. He staggered when Time pulled him up, yelping when his weight landed on his right ankle. Time had to rush forward before Blue collapsed, grabbing him by the shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, glancing down at the ankle worriedly. Blue hadn’t mentioned any other injuries.

Blue smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I _might_ have sprained my ankle when I fought that lizalfos.”

Time pursed his lips, moving closer so Blue could lean against him as they walked back. “And why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

Blue grimaced, offering Time an apologetic look. “I forgot with everything else going on. Sorry.”

Time sighed, but nodded. A sprained ankle would be the least of Blue’s concerns when he had two openly bleeding gashes on his palms and a maelstrom of emotions writhing within.

By the time the inn was within sight, Blue was sweating with exertion, and there had been a pained grimace upon his features for the greater part of the fifteen minutes it had taken them to walk back. Time set him down at the shorter dock that sat beside the inn, nodding when he received an appreciative smile.

“I’ll send them out here, since I’m sure you don’t want an audience?”

“Please,” Blue said gratefully, turning to watch the water with worried eyes. “You’re sure they still want me?” he asked softly, before Time could move away.

Time’s heart ached at how Blue slumped over, wrapping his arms around himself as though desperate for comfort—it was something Time couldn’t provide, not when only comfort from his brothers would help cure this.

“I’m certain of it,” Time reassured him, hesitating before he headed back to the inn. He would have to be quick about this, because Blue _needed_ to get this off of his chest, but Time had to talk with the other Colours first.

As soon as Time rounded the corner, the opening of the inn coming into view, Red raced forward, all but jumping down the steps, his brothers at his heels.

“Where is he?” Red demanded, looking around frantically in hopes of seeing his brother.

“He’s nearby, but I need to talk with you three first.”

Red hesitated, looking torn between shoving Time aside and hearing him out. Thankfully, the latter won and the three nodded. Time led them to the opposite side of the inn, wary of them seeing Blue until he had said his piece lest he lose them.

Vio crossed his arms, while Green set about biting his nails nervously, looking around every so often as though expecting Blue to jump out of the shadows. Red began pacing, unable to keep himself still under the concern that weighed him down.

“Has Blue ever opened up to any of you?” he asked, determined to not beat around the bush. Based on Blue’s words, he doubted he had, but he needed to be certain of it.

Silence fell upon them as the three thought, the crashing of waves filling the air alongside the hum of crickets.

“Not to me,” Green said, turning to his brothers quizzically. When Vio shook his head, panic filled both of their eyes and they turned to Red desperately.

“Nor me,” Red said, horrified. “He hasn’t… spoken to any of us about his troubles, has he?”

Time’s lips thinned as Green and Vio raised their hands to their mouths. That was something they would need to change, as brothers. He only hoped they could get through to Blue.

“I want you to know,” Time began, hesitating. Telling them about Blue’s fears went against his own morals, and it would break his trust with him if everything went south. But… if Blue clammed up and refused to speak, his brothers wouldn’t be able to provide the comfort he desperately needed.

 _Sorry, Blue_ , Time thought as he waved the others closer, wary of the rest of the Links overhearing what he was about to say.

“He’s worried you all don’t love him anymore,” Time admitted, his gut twisting as he said the words—Blue’s _secrets_ —to his brothers, but he told himself it was for the greater good.

As expected, they all gasped in shock, shaking their heads adamantly at his words, though Time quieted them before they could try to refute them. These weren’t his own thoughts, after all.

“He also feels like,” Time paused, grimacing. “He feels as though none of you want to fuse with him.”

This time, his words only received silence until Red spoke up.

“We felt that across the fusion,” Red admitted, lowering his head as tears glistened in his eyes. “We just don’t know _why_.”

Time nodded. He knew a little of Blue’s reasoning, but they would need to ask him themselves.

“You can ask him when you talk to him. He’s just at the dock.”

The others nodded, eager to see their brother, but Time paused them before they could move away, meeting their curious gazes with his own hard one.

“Be gentle with him, okay? The last thing he needs right now is to be scolded.”

They blinked in unison, and Time found himself relieved he had said the words when they nodded slowly.

“Okay. We will,” Red assured him, waiting a moment for his nod before dashing off, leaving his brothers behind. Green and Vio stared at the spot Red had been in with wide eyes, shocked at how _quickly_ Red had vanished, before shaking themselves of their stupor and offering Time their quick thanks and rushing off after him.

Time chuckled as they left, shaking his head fondly. Blue would be fine.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Colours talk.

Moonlight trickled onto the land, bathing the ocean before him in its silver glow. Waves crashed against the shore behind him, the normally soothing sound of no help tonight. Anxiety writhed within his stomach, twisting and turning as though it was a monster trying to escape.

Blue took in a shaky breath to help quell the nerves, raising a sleeve to his face and scrubbing at it as though it would fix the tear stains he likely still had upon his cheeks. He glanced down into his reflection in the ocean, but couldn’t make out his face with how the water rippled. With a heavy sigh, he accepted his fate. He had done his best to clean up, but hiding the evidence of a breakdown wasn’t easy, especially so soon after it.

Biting his lip, Blue spared a quick glance over his shoulder, slumping when he saw no sign of his brothers yet again. What was taking them so long? Time had left a good few minutes ago, and yet Blue hadn’t seen any sign of his brothers.

What if Time had been wrong, and they didn’t care enough to come find him?

His heart panged at the thought and he rubbed his chest, blinking away another fresh wave of tears. Time had been adamant about them caring, and the group leader wouldn’t lie, would he?

So, what was taking them so long?

Perhaps, they wanted to make him wait as he had done to them, to make him fret nervously as he wondered when they would appear— _if_ they would appear. Guilt spread through his chest at the thought of how they had been forced to sit here and wait for him, not knowing if he would ever return, only knowing how _miserable_ he felt.

How they could love someone as awful as him, he would never know.

“Blue!” He flinched, whipping around with wide eyes. Bright red filled his vision and he had only a moment to spin around as Red fell to his knees, sliding the remaining few feet and crashing into him, nearly knocking the two of them off of the dock and into the water.

Red’s arms were around him in an instant, squeezing him so tightly, Blue feared for his ribs. His brother buried his face in his hair, as though trying to remind himself that Blue hadn’t left, that he was still with them. At the thought, a lump rose into his throat and he swallowed against the thick guilt, pushing his face into Red’s shoulder to hide the tears burning in his eyes.

“We were so worried,” Red murmured into his hair, squeezing him impossibly tighter to reinforce his words.

Blue winced. It was _his_ fault his brothers had spent so long worrying when they should have been enjoying dinner and then getting the rest they needed.

“I’m sorry,” Blue said softly, keeping his face pressed into the fabric of Red’s tunic when shame burned in his chest. This was all his fault. If he hadn’t overthought everything, they wouldn’t be in this mess. If he had only confided in Legend or Warriors, he wouldn’t still be feeling this way now.

At the thought of the two, fear tumbled into his gut. His brothers might forgive him, but Legend and Warriors would be _furious_ with him for hiding this when they had offered time and time again to listen to him. If he survived this talk, then they would surely kill him while he slept.

Red pulled back, his eyes narrowed, though they held no heat within them. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything,” he said, before tears welled up in his eyes and he looked down. “We should have noticed something was wrong, and we didn’t.”

Blue’s chest ached at the sight. His brothers weren’t at fault, not when he had so adamantly hidden this from them. He opened his mouth to say as much when Green and Vio raced around the corner of the inn, eyes widening when they saw him. Within a split second, they had joined the embrace, taking a side each and latching onto him tightly, as though worried he would try to run off again. Blue nearly scoffed at the thought. It would only bring about more pain for everyone else, and it would achieve nothing—not to mention, he couldn’t run with his sprained ankle.

“Blue, are you okay?” Green asked, leaning back to inspect him worriedly, before his face scrunched up. “Sorry, that’s a stupid question, huh?”

Blue huffed a laugh, though it sounded forced even to his own ears. “I’m okay,” he said honestly. Sure, he wasn’t _great_ , and he certainly wasn’t near his usual level of confidence, but he was okay, for now. “I talked a bit with Time, and I feel better for it.”

Red tutted, pulling back to fix him with a stern look. “You’re not getting away from this that easily, Blue. We _need_ to talk about this.”

Blue blinked in surprise, unused to seeing the normally passive Red so assertive. “But—”

His brother silenced him with a look that left him leaning back slightly, nerves tumbling into his gut as all hopes of avoiding this talk were washed away like the tide beneath him. Red shifted back, moving away from the edge of the dock and gesturing for the rest of them to follow. Green and Vio took a seat on both sides of Red, raising an eyebrow at Blue when he hesitated. With a sigh, Blue shuffled forward, joining the little circle.

Red didn’t beat around the bush. “Do you really feel like we don’t want to be fused with you, Blue?”

Blue winced, keeping his gaze lowered even when Red reached out to twine their fingers together comfortingly, and Green and Vio shifted closer, eyes sparkling with concern. Despite his attempts to tear away from the fusion quickly, he knew his feelings of being _unwanted_ had drifted across to his brothers. He hadn’t expected them to connect the dots so accurately, though, nor had he expected them to bring it up so bluntly.

“I did,” Blue admitted, eyes flicking up momentarily, only for him to cringe when he noticed how their faces had fallen. “But I talked with Time, and I know it was stupid,” he added quickly, eager to remove the worried lines from their faces. Shame burned in his chest at how _stupid_ he had been, and it only flared up when his brothers didn’t appear soothed by his words in the slightest. He lowered his eyes as heat spread across his cheeks.

Silence followed his words, and Blue shifted anxiously when his brothers shared a look, and every crash of waves upon the shore left him flinching, nerves leaving him on edge.

“Blue.” He met Green’s eyes nervously, and a part of him wished he had committed to leaving when he saw how they glistened. Had he left while he still could, his brothers wouldn’t be burdened with his problems now. “I don’t know what happened to make you feel that way, but we _love_ being fused with you, okay? If we didn’t want to fuse with you, then we wouldn’t, but we do because we _want_ to.”

Relief crashed into Blue’s chest and he slumped slightly, a shaky sigh leaving his lips. But, even if they enjoyed being fused with him, they still might not _love_ him. Perhaps, they enjoyed it as he made them stronger.

At least he was still good for _something_.

“Yeah!” Red chimed in.

“Being fused with you is fun,” Vio agreed, a smile upon his face at Red’s enthusiasm. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Blue smiled faintly, their words soothing some of the cracks that had appeared along his heart. It wasn’t perfect, but as long as he knew he was helping his brothers in some way, he could keep going.

“Thanks,” he said, squeezing Red’s fingers appreciatively. At least they didn’t hate him entirely—though the thought of them not liking him, not _loving_ him, made his heart sink. This was more than he deserved, and he would take what he could get.

“But, Blue,” Red began, tearing him away from his thoughts.

He raised a brow quizzically. Weren’t they done here? His brothers had reassured him already, so what else could Red have to say?

“Why do you feel as though—” Red paused, reaching up to scrub at his eyes harshly. He took a deep breath before he tried again. “Why do you feel as though we don’t love you anymore?”

Blue’s heart stopped and he looked down instantly, his cheeks blazing furiously and his eyes stinging. He hadn’t expected them to ask _that_ —how did they even know? Had more than he initially anticipated leaked across during the fusion? Blue couldn’t recall, not with everything that had gone on in the past hour.

But that didn’t matter, because they _knew_. He hadn’t meant for his brothers to ever find out about his insecurities. Now, they knew how _weak_ he truly was, and it was all his own fault.

“I…” he trailed off, uncertain as to how to answer. He couldn’t deny it, not when they clearly knew. Should he apologise for being so weak?

He pulled his hand away from Red’s, wrapping his arms around himself in an attempt to stop feeling so _vulnerable_ before them. It didn’t help.

“Blue…” Vio began, reaching out hesitantly. Blue winced when Vio paused, dropping his hand as though not wanting to touch him, though he couldn’t blame him. Why would he want to touch something so broken?

He couldn’t stop himself from looking up when Vio shifted closer, however, bumping knees with him. “Blue, we love you _so much_ ,” he began, pursing his lips as he thought over his next words.

Blue swallowed thickly against the swell of emotion that hit him despite how few words Vio had said—Vio wasn’t the best at comforting, he knew that much, so _anything_ from him meant the world. But Vio wasn’t done yet.

“You’re our _brother_ , Blue, but we’d still love you even if you weren’t. You mean so much to me—to _us_ —and I’m sorry you feel otherwise.”

Blue’s lip trembled, and all he could do was nod when he knew speaking would give him away—if the tears blurring his eyes hadn’t already. Vio smiled understandingly, reaching out to take one of his hands and lace their fingers together, as if determined to show him he didn’t need to try and comfort himself any longer, that he could lean on them.

Red nodded vehemently. “We love you, Blue! And we _need_ you to tell us what happened so we can help you properly.”

“We won’t be angry with you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Green added, his eyes shimmering with concern.

Vio hummed his assent, squeezing Blue’s hand reassuringly—Blue found himself grateful for both the comfort, and the fact that Vio hadn’t touched his wounded palm, though he had a feeling his brothers hadn’t noticed them yet. With his free hand, Blue reached down to pick at the rough wood of the dock nervously.

“I just…” He let out a sigh, lowering his gaze so he could speak more comfortably. Despite knowing his brothers cared and that they only wanted to help, meeting their eyes while opening up was something he couldn’t do. “You guys always come to me when you’re hurting, and this time you didn’t. I guess I just... assumed you didn’t need me anymore...” he trailed off, unwilling to say that he had thought they no longer cared, that they had never cared, only keeping him around to vent to.

Red inhaled sharply, and when Blue looked up, he noticed Green had a troubled expression on his face, one that was mirrored on Vio’s, though his brother tightened his grip on his hand. Blue’s stomach twisted at the sight, and he looked away in shame once more. Had he not been so sensitive, none of this would have happened.

“We just didn’t want to burden you,” Red spoke up, drawing his attention back to his brother. Blue’s eyes widened at his brother’s words. They… hadn’t wanted to _burden_ him?

“You’ve never burdened me,” Blue reassured Red, sharing looks with Green and Vio so they understood that his words applied to them, too.

Red smiled faintly, nodding. “Seeing that thing… it left us feeling _awful_ , and it wouldn’t be fair to dump all of that onto you when we all three of us were feeling that way. That’s why we turned to the other Links,” he said, Green and Vio nodding their agreement.

“I felt the same,” Blue admitted, looking down. With everything that had been going on, the nastiness that had been left behind by that _thing_ had faded into the background.

“You did?” Green asked, tilting his head. Had they truly not noticed? He wasn’t as good at hiding things as he had initially thought, if Legend and Warriors’ attempts to help him had taught him anything. When his brothers hadn’t said anything, Blue had assumed they had elected to ignore his plight, not that they had missed it entirely.

He dipped his head in assent. “I tried to ignore it, though. Didn’t want to be distracted if you guys needed my help,” he added when his brothers’ eyes widened in alarm.

“Oh,” Vio mumbled, raising his free hand to his chin in thought. “It’s no wonder you wound up so upset. Keeping everything in like that would only leave you more sensitive to rejection.”

Blue winced, but nodded. It made sense, as much as he hated to admit it. He _had_ been feeling particularly sensitive today, and overthinking everything as he had done certainly hadn’t helped. “Sorry,” he said, biting his lip. If he had opened up to his brothers sooner, none of this would have happened.

“It’s… well, it’s not okay, obviously,” Green said, his lips thin. “But we should have noticed something was wrong if it was hurting you this badly. And I’m sorry, for not noticing.”

Blue blinked in surprise, but then Red and Vio voiced their agreements, looking at him with such regret shining in their eyes, Blue wondered how he had ever thought they didn’t care.

“It’s not your fault,” he said with a sigh. He could have talked with his brothers—or the other Links—at any time, and yet he hadn’t. “I just wanted to be strong for you guys.”

Red made a face at that, shaking his head. “You don’t _have_ to be strong for us, Blue. We’ll love you even when you’re not feeling well, okay?”

Blue’s heart warmed at Red’s words, as though soothing honey had been poured through the cracks and healed them. He nodded, a smile upon his face, tired as it was. “Okay.”

“Do you feel better now?” Green asked, watching him carefully, as though prepared for another painful sentence to fall from his lips.

But Blue couldn’t think of anything else that was ailing him currently. He couldn’t care less about the forced fusion; as horrid as it had been, he had moved past it already. Now, he knew his brothers loved him unconditionally, and they would want to fuse with him again when the time came.

“I do, thanks,” Blue said with a nod. “Should have just done this from the start,” he added, rolling his eyes at his own actions.

His brothers beamed, and Red moved forward to embrace him again. “That’s great!”

“Did you want to try and fuse again?” Green asked.

Blue hesitated, before shaking his head. Earlier, he had been so desperate to fuse to avoid how he had felt. But now that the weight had been lifted from his shoulders, he understood his brothers’ eagerness to remain separate earlier; they _never_ got to be themselves freely like this, and he wanted to enjoy it while he could. “Not yet. I think I’m content to just be, for tonight.”

Vio grinned, patting him on the shoulder. “Good choice. Now, we should head inside and get you some food. After that, Red better be ready to share.” He nodded to where Red still clung to him, mirth sparkling in his eyes.

Red grumbled incoherently, but nodded into Blue’s shoulder, pulling back with determined eyes. “Let’s hurry up, then! Blue hasn’t eaten in _hours_.”

Blue decided telling them he hadn’t eaten a proper lunch wouldn’t be the best idea, if they were already this concerned. Instead, he took Green’s hand when his brother reached down while Red and Vio raced ahead to let Wild know Blue needed something to eat, though Blue had a feeling Red only headed inside due to the chilled air. Red had always been more sensitive to the cold than the rest of them.

Fire danced up his leg the moment his ankle hit the ground and Blue whimpered, shifting his weight to his other foot instantly. How had he forgotten _twice_?

“Blue?” Green said, his brow furrowed worriedly. He placed a hand over Blue’s shoulder to steady him. “What’s wrong?”

Blue huffed, testing his foot once more before shaking his head as sparks shot up his leg. “Sprained my ankle,” he admitted.

“You’re hurt?” Green gasped, moving closer and wrapping Blue’s arm around his shoulders to help support him.

Blue hummed his assent. “Stupid lizalfos on the beach,” he muttered angrily. “Got my hands, too.”

Green took his free hand, inspecting the now lightly stained bandages grimly. “We should get Hyrule to take a look at these.” His tone left no room for argument, so Blue nodded, allowing Green to lead him back along the dock and inside.

Upon entering the inn, heads turned their way. Blue looked down in shame as heat spread over his cheeks, grateful when Green led him over to the more secluded bed in the corner where he had rested earlier, helping him sit down.

“Here.”

Blue looked up, meeting Wild’s eyes. The Champion held a plate in their hands, likely as the soup had long since gone cold. Blue took it gratefully, smiling in relief when Wild left without another comment. The thought of talking about his breakdown with another person tonight left him more exhausted than he already felt.

As Blue dug into the simple bread and cheese Wild had put together for him, Green moved away to grab Hyrule. Red and Vio were quick to replace him, taking a seat on either side of Blue.

“You’re hurt?” Red asked when he noticed the bandages on Blue’s hands, now that they sat beneath candlelight. Blue allowed him to take one of his hands and inspect it as Green had done, if only to soothe his concern. Vio remained silent, but he shifted closer to lean into Blue’s side in silent support. As soon as he finished eating, Hyrule stepped forward while Green took his plate away.

“Where are you hurt?” he asked, eyes inspecting him for any signs of wounds. They landed on his hands, but Blue waved him off when he tried to take one. Hyrule had healed half of the group only recently, after their battle with the forced fusion—while clumsy, it had still gotten in a few good hits on the other Links. Their healer would still be tired, and Blue wouldn’t allow him to waste too much energy when Time had cleaned and bandaged his hands already.

“My ankle,” he said, wincing when Red and Vio made curious hums, their eyes shimmering with concern.

Hyrule eyed off his hands for another moment before nodding, and Blue found himself grateful the other rarely pushed himself too far anymore. Crouching down, Hyrule tapped his right leg quizzically, to which Blue nodded. With a hum, Hyrule placed a hand over his calf, eyes closed as he focused on the swirling magic within him.

Blue and his brothers watched in awe as Hyrule’s palm turned pink and a cool, soothing sensation trickled over Blue’s right leg and down to his ankle, similar to how he had felt earlier with his feet in the pond. Within seconds, his pain had vanished and Hyrule stood tall once more.

“You’re sure those ones will be okay?” he asked, eyeing off Blue’s palms with pursed lips.

Blue nodded. “They’ll be _fine_. You should probably go rest, now. You’re looking pretty pale.”

Hyrule’s face had lost a significant amount of colour as he healed, and he swayed lightly where he stood, exhaustion catching up to him. He nodded tiredly, turning away.

“But, thank you,” Blue added before Hyrule could leave. The other had healed him despite not being obligated to, and Blue couldn’t be more grateful for it. He couldn’t allow Hyrule to leave before he had expressed his gratitude.

Hyrule offered him a warm smile. “I’m glad you feel better,” he said, before drifting over to the other side of the inn, dropping down at Legend’s side and leaning into him when fatigue fully caught up to him.

Blue’s eyes met Legend’s and he winced when he noticed the anger flashing within them, looking away guiltily. He owed both Legend _and_ Warriors an apology, if they were willing to hear him out. But, that could wait until tomorrow; right now, he was _exhausted_.

As though hearing his thoughts, Green moved closer, pushing him down onto the bed and joining him, curling up by his side and tucking himself away underneath his chin. Blue’s heart warmed when Green took his hand, lacing their fingers together and holding both to his chest—until Vio clambered over the two of them to his other side, jostling them and earning a half-hearted glare from Green. Vio settled down quickly, latching onto Blue’s arm with one of his own and reaching across his chest, holding his hand out expectantly. With a roll of his eyes, Green took Vio’s hand, lacing their fingers together as he had done with Blue’s. Vio beamed, before burying his face in Blue’s shoulder.

Red watched them fondly for a moment, before he dropped down over all of them, ignoring the grunts of protest he was met with as he spread out on his back as though trying to touch them all at once.

With a chuckle and roll of his eyes, Blue let his eyelids flutter shut. With the warmth and love of his brothers surrounding him, he drifted off within moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter _hurt_ to write, but it also made me feel so soft and fuzzy, so I hope you all enjoyed!  
> Stay safe <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue apologises to Legend and Warriors, then the Colours finally fuse again.

“We’re not fusing until you talk to them.”

Blue huffed, glaring at Green over his breakfast. While he felt infinitely better after their talk and a good night’s rest, the moment he had laid eyes on Legend and Warriors across the room, guilt had erupted in his chest. His brothers had become significantly more perceptive since last night, as they noticed the flash of guilt across his face instantly. With a sigh, he had come clean about how Legend and Warriors had tried to get him to open up the day before, and how he had brushed them off each time. Now, they were adamant on him apologising to the two of them and refused to form Four until he had done so.

“Can’t we just do it as Four?” he asked hopefully, only to pout when his brothers shook their heads.

“They’ll want to hear it from _Blue_ , not from _Four_ ,” Red said, raising his spoon and pointing it towards Blue for emphasis.

With a heavy sigh, Blue finished off his soup, placing his bowl to the side. “ _Fine_ ,” he relented. It wouldn’t feel right, to not apologise to the two after they had offered to help him, though he would feel more comfortable having his brothers by his side. “If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, come looking for me.”

Green and Red snorted, while Vio rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“ _Go_ ,” Vio said, gently pushing him away. “Get it over and done with.”

Blue nodded, finding himself unable to answer when anxiety squeezed his chest. He turned to face Legend and Warriors, sighing in relief when he noticed they were busy talking, rather than glaring at him as he had caught them doing on more than one occasion that morning.

He stepped up to them before he could chicken out, clearing his throat to gain their attention. When their eyes snapped up to meet his, he flinched back at the _anger_ burning within their depths.

“Can I talk to you guys?” he asked before they could spare him any scathing remarks. It would be better for him to take the lead, rather than give them time to take out their anger on him.

They shared a look, before nodding. Blue’s shoulders fell in relief, glad they would at least hear him out.

He gestured for them to follow as he led the way outside, uneasy with the thought of all of the Links hearing his apology. Thankfully, they followed behind him without a word, and he headed up the trail he had taken the day before, eager for the tranquillity of the pond. It was the least he could do, to share such a pleasant place with them despite how he had wanted to keep it as his own.

They stopped before the pond, still standing on the grass—the platform was too narrow to fit them all when he wanted to look them in the eye upon giving his apology. He turned to face them, wincing when he saw that they had both crossed their arms, waiting impatiently for him to speak.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted, forcing himself to maintain eye contact when Legend narrowed his eyes and Warriors looked away with a quick shake of his head, as though in disbelief.

“For what? Lying to us when we were willing to listen? For letting yourself fall apart rather than talk with us?”

Blue winced, unable to resist the urge to look down in shame. He knew his choices had been foolish, but to hear them from Legend’s mouth, to hear them _mocked,_ only made reality set in more harshly.

Biting his lip, Blue nodded, forcing himself to meet their gazes once more. “It was stupid of me, I know. This all could have been avoided if I had just talked to you guys. I’m sorry,” he repeated, shaking his head at his own actions.

Legend tutted, and Blue flinched when he strode forward, anticipating a blow only for the other to place a hand over his shoulder.

“There’s no point in giving you the lecture I had lined up; you’ve clearly learnt your lesson," Legend said, sighing. "I want you to know I worked hard on it, though,” he added with a wink that left Blue chuckling, though a part of him shuddered at the thought of what kind of lecture Legend had planned out for him.

“But,” Legend continued, and Blue’s stomach fell from the bubbly high it had been given seconds ago. “You literally fell apart over this. And, I know we don’t really talk about our own problems, but,” he glanced back at Warriors, sharing a look with him, then a nod, “if you ever feel that bad again, just know that we’re here for you.”

Warriors hummed his assent. “Us witty Links have got to stick together, after all.”

Blue snorted, but nodded. “Alright. But only if you two promise to do the same.”

Warriors blinked in surprise, looking back to Legend, before he shrugged. “I guess it’s only fair. We can’t ask this of you then not do the same in return.”

“It’s only fair if we all keep the promise,” Legend agreed.

“You guys better keep it,” Blue said, narrowing his eyes at them. He knew how it felt to keep something so horrid inside, now, and he refused to let either of them feel the same way while they were together.

“We will,” Warriors assured him. “Now, we should head back before your brothers start worrying.”

Blue huffed a laugh, but followed as Legend began to lead the way. “I don’t think they’ll ever stop worrying, now.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Warriors asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly, though the grin on his face told Blue he hadn’t meant any harm with his words.

Still, he huffed and crossed his arms petulantly, sticking his tongue out at Warriors to ensure the man didn’t take his reaction the wrong way—and because he felt a little petty.

Warriors snorted, shoving him forward and rolling his eyes.

They parted ways upon entering the inn, sharing a meaningful look before they did so. They still had bags to pack, now that Wild and Time had found information on an unusually strong wizzrobe nearby.

Blue snuck up on his brothers, now distracted with packing their bag. With a smirk, he jumped onto Vio’s back, knocking his brother to the ground with a shout.

“Blue!” Red cried, moving closer worriedly. “What about your hands?” he asked, ignoring how Vio groaned underneath him.

“They’re fine.” Blue waved him off, sitting up and showing his freshly bandaged palms for good measure.

Vio took advantage of his distraction, jumping up and knocking both him and Red over, while Green shot Time an exasperated look. Laughing in a tangle of limbs, Blue didn’t notice the light encompassing them, only grunting when Green dropped down onto their pile, nor did he notice as their souls began to fuse together, too busy laughing alongside his brothers. It wasn’t until he opened his eyes and realised he wasn’t _alone_ anymore that it sank in.

Four’s eyes widened and he looked down, taking in his patchwork tunic in disbelief. The rest of the inn held their breath with him as he waited for the bubbly, joyous emotions to settle down within, wary of anything negative popping up again. When all he felt was contentment, he beamed.

“I’m back!”

The group cheered, and Four couldn’t help but blush under their attention. Wind ran forward to embrace him excitedly, and Four took the opportunity to hide his face in the kid’s shoulder.

“Glad you finally got your shit together,” Legend said with a smirk, leaning back against the inn wall with his arms crossed.

“Don’t talk to me about getting my shit together, hypocrite,” Four retorted, leaning back to raise an eyebrow at Legend, knowing the other held more than a lifetime’s worth of secrets close to his chest.

Legend snorted. “I’m glad Blue’s feeling better,” he said.

Four could only grin in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely _adore_ the accidental fusing scenes in Steven Universe. They're just so pure. 
> 
> That's the end of this fic! I wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented on this, and those who enjoyed it quietly. I love and appreciate you all!


End file.
